He Was My Taylor Before He Was Anybody Else's
by emwatsonlove
Summary: Hayley is a fairly average girl with a typical life. Except for her best friend, Taylor Lautner. She reconnects with him after years of being apart and events unfold that both of them never expected, one of them being Hayley's secret love for Taylor.
1. Chapter 1

I was sitting idly at my desk in AP U.S. History, staring at my Batman watch, counting down the last few minutes I had in school before it was over for winter break. _Just three more minutes and I can get the hell out of here and get home to see Taylor_, I thought.

Taylor was my best friend since birth. My brother by love; my twin. We grew up next door to each other in Grand Rapids, Michigan ever since we came out of the womb. Our parents were all best friends, our father's having been college roommates and best friends in high school. This was until Taylor became _the_ Taylor. Taylor Lautner. But before all of the acting, muscles, and complete hotness, he was my Taylor. My very best friend, always there by my side and who never let anyone hurt me, physically or emotionally.

He was coming back in town from shooting _E___clipse__ in Vancouver to be home with our families for the holidays. I'm super excited because I haven't seen him in several months ever since he left to film the movie in the first place. I was happy at the thought that I was able to have my best friend back all to myself - even if only for a few weeks.

"A watched pot never boils," my girl best friend Scarlet warned me from across the aisle, ripping me from my thoughts.

I looked up, confused. "What are you talking about?"

"Hayl, you've been staring at your watch for the past three minutes. It's not going to go any faster with your eyes glued to the screen."

I frowned and stuck my tongue out at her like a child.

Scarlet and I have been friends since fifth grade, the year Taylor and his family moved to L.A. I pretty much kept to myself because he was the only one I talked to anyway, and when he left, I just became the quiet girl in glass that no one really cared much about. Scarlet saved me from my growing loneliness with her charismatic personality and amazing friendship qualities, and she's been here for me ever since. She's been like the sister I've always wanted, what my kid sister Melanie lacks.

I finally got bored with my watch and checked the clock on the wall. "I have two questions."

"Okay," Scar said, not looking away from the projection screen at the front of the room she seemed to take interest in when I began day dreaming again.

"Why are we sitting here with nothing to do, why is the clock going so slow, and why haven't the afternoon announcements come on yet? It's practically 2:15!" I whispered angrily.

"That was three questions, we're watching a movie, I already explained why the clock is going so slow, and it's only 2:10," she explained nonchalantly, still focused on the screen.

I looked up at the projection screen and realized that some documentary about America Post American Revolution was playing. I sighed and decided to accept that I had 5 more minutes until school was out and that really the only thing to do was watch what was on the screen.

I watched the movie for the remaining five minutes until the afternoon announcements came over the intercom.

"...And have a safe winter break," one of my senior classmates finished announcing.

"Don't forget that your literary analysis over 18th century works are due first thing after the break," my father and teacher Mr. Powell announced to the class.

Most of the kids around me groaned, and I would have too, but I was more focused on Taylor and how I was going to see him in just a few hours.

"I don't want to hear it," he said as he flipped on the lights and turned off the movie.

The bell finally rang and we were home free.

"Have a good break you guys," he said to us as we left the class.

Scarlet and I made our way to the door behind everyone else and I shoved her though after shouting, "bye, dad!"

He laughed at my eagerness and shook his head. He knew how much I wanted to see my best friend.

"Girl, calm down!" Scarlet exclaimed as I pushed her to our lockers.

"I can't! I'm going to see him in..." I stopped and looked at my watch to get the exact time, "exactly four hours, forty-three minutes and twenty-seven seconds!" I exclaimed, doing the combination on my locker and opening it quickly, almost hitting Scarlet in the face with the door.

"Be careful," she scolded, combing through her hair with her fingers.

"Sorry, I'm just so excited."

"Trust me, I know. You're never animated like this. Or excited about anything."

I frowned. She had a point. I never really say this much at school.

"It's a good thing, Hayley," she added, opening her own locker a few lockers down and stuffing things into her backpack.

"Oh." I finished putting the things in my own backpack and was about to shut the door when something caught the corner of my eyes. It was the picture of Taylor and I when we were ten-years-old, the summer before he moved to L.A. It was him hugging me and kissing my cheek while I hugged him back and had a huge smile on my face. It always made me smile the same smile in the picture every time I saw it.

"Come on," Scarlet said happily, shutting my door for me and linking her arm through mine. She led me down the hallway out toward the senior parking lot. "I'm sure he's just excited to see you," she reassured me.

I was in my bathroom, staring at my mirror, with all of my make up laid out in front of me. I just got out of the shower and was currently trying to figure out what my make-up should look like to go accordingly with the dress Scarlet picked out for me. Our families decided to have a 'Welcome Back Home' dinner for the Lautners at my house, and it was kind of dressy. She picked out a strapless dress with a heart shaped bust, that was grayish black and that had white outlined roses all over it. It hit at about my knees and had a huge black bow tied around my waist. If was actually hers that she brought over because I would never own something like this. Although it was pretty, it screamed 'Scarlet'.

I was going to do a smoky eye when I stopped and gazed at myself in the mirror, and began to think. Even though I was a good make up artist (which is one of the key things that will help me when I move to New York to become apart of the theatre), no matter how much eye shadow or eye liner or mascara I put on, I will still be plain, old Hayley. I won't be anything like Scarlet, who let's face it, is simple gorgeous. I guess I was okay - I had simple features, but nothing striking like Scar. My body was much like a teenage boy's. I had a flat chest and no curves. Scarlet's had huge boobs and curves just like J-Lo. She had beautiful natural red hair, while I had fake bright red, orange, and yellow in my hair, much like Hayley Williams. If Taylor saw me now and saw Scarlet, he would forget all about me and take all interest in her. Every guy that has come across Scarlet and I chose her.

Not that Taylor's like that. He's nothing like that. Personality means everything to him. Looks did matter, but nothing like actions and personality.

After a few minutes, I finally stepped out of the bathroom into my bedroom where Scarlet lay lazily on my bed, flipping through a Vogue magazine.

"How do I look?" I asked.

She looked up at me and immediately, her face lit up. "Hayl, you look beautiful!" She exclaimed, jumping off my bed, taking my hand and leading me to my full length mirror. "I don't know why you say you aren't pretty, because you are."

"Not as pretty as you though," I mumbled, checking myself in the mirror to make sure I looked half decent.

"What?" she asked.

"Nothing."

"Hayley," my mom said, knocking on my door.

"Huh?" I turned to see my mom standing in the doorway with a grin on her face.

"They're here," she said happily.

My face lit up as I turned to Scarlet. I shared a happy shriek with her and hugged her.

"Have fun," she said.

"Thanks." I let go and walked to the door. Once I got around my mother, I ran to the stairs and ran down to the living room. My smile grew when I saw Taylor in the foyer, looking at family photos. From what I could hear, my dad and his parents were in his office catching up.

I climbed down the stairs and stood next to Taylor, his eyes locked on a picture of him and I when we were kids.

"I wish we could go back," I mumbled, staring at the photo.

"Me too," he smiled, and looked at me.

Seeing all of him now put a huge grin on my face. He seemed even taller than me than last time, leaving me at 5'5" and him at at least 5'10". I was pretty much used to it though. He always towered over me. And not only did his height improve, but his weight most likely did too. He was huge! And no, I don't mean huge as in fat. I mean huge as in, boy got some serious muscles. He was kind of hard to look like now, because I've never seen him this ripped before. Wow. He's really turning into a man. His face has more prominent features and his cute, boyish baby face is nowhere to be found.

I ripped myself from my trance and gazed into his beautiful, chocolate eyes. "Taylor, what happened to you?"

He looked down at himself as his smile faded. "Why, what's wrong with me?" he asked, afraid that I don't like what he became.

"Oh, no, that's not what I meant. I just meant that...You aren't the Taylor I grew up with. Last time you were, but...I hardly recognize you," I said, kind of disappointed.

I do love how he looks, trust me, but I'm not really good with change. It will take me a while to get used to it.

"It's still me, Hayley. I'm the same Taylor, I promise," he reassured, pulling me into a strong embrace.

He had a point, I'm sure he is the same Taylor as before. But his hugs are so much better because of his strength.

I nodded and squeezed him back before letting go. "Want to go to the park?" I asked, referring to the park with the playground we used to play in just a couple blocks away.

His lips curved into another huge smile. "Of course."

I smiled back and pulled him toward the front door, where he helped me into my coat after putting on his own. All our lives, Taylor always saw me as fragile and always insisted on helping me with simple things. Even things like putting on my coat, when even a fragile person can do that by themselves. I didn't mind though.

"Taylor and I are going out! Be home for dinner!" I shouted to anybody who could hear me.

"Come on," he smiled, eager to get to our beloved playground so we could have Hayley-Taylor bonding time again.

I laughed at his eagerness and opened the door. The cold, crisp Michigan winter air hit us as we stepped out onto the porch and walked down the driveway.

Once we got onto the sidewalk, I held my coat closer to me, not realizing how cold it would be.

"Are you cold?" he asked suspiciously.

I wanted to say no so he wouldn't baby me, but I really was. "Yes..."

He stopped in front of me and crouched down. "Get on my back."

"What?"

"Get on my back so I can give you a piggy back ride and keep you warm?" he chuckled.

"Oh," I said, feeling stupid. I did what he said and held on close to him, feeling warmer the second he touched me. "Thank you."

"No prob, Hayl. You're nothing compared to what I can bench now," he commented.

"Oh, what's that?" I asked, fake excited.

"One eighty."

"What ever."

"It's true."

I rolled my eyes as he turned the corner onto the last block before the playground. "So how much do I feel like?"

"At most, about one o' five?"

Well shit. I was one hundred and two pounds. "What, are you calling me anorexic?" I accused jokingly.

"Oh, of course," he retorted sarcastically.

We remained silent until we got to the playground, where we climbed into one of the tunnels. Already knowing that I was freezing, he pulled me into his lap and held onto me tightly, while I rested my head on his chest. I forgot how much of a daffodil I felt when I was around Taylor.

"Tell me that my Christmas present from you is you and your parents moving back in Grand Rapids," I asked quietly, reaching out to touch the words Taylor and I wrote on the tunnel wall right before he moved to L.A. It read Hayley + Taylor = BFF.

He sighed and gazed at the writing. "Hayley, I wish, but I'm honestly having the time of my life back in L.A. I love acting and I love being Jacob Black."

I nodded. "I understand."

He hugged me tighter and sighed again lightly. "Come to L.A. with me after graduation. You can stay with me and find work. Your dad emailed videos of your high school performances and you're good, Hayley. You're really good."

"I can't do that. You know I want to go to Columbia. And I wouldn't intrude on you and your family-"

"You are family-"

"You know I want to be a stage actor. And we'll have time together. I promise."

"I know."

"And we're together now. Let's not waste it."


	2. Chapter 2

Taylor and I lay still and silent for several minutes, just enjoying being so close to each other. Words weren't needed with us. We just loved being with each other. After a while, I checked my watch and realized it was five till seven, almost time for dinner. I honestly didn't want to move and walk back into the cold; Taylor was the perfect heater.

"Okay, Wolf boy, we better go," I announced sadly, pulling away from him to get out of the tunnel.

He sighed and reluctantly let me go. "Alright."

We both climbed out of the tunnel and made our way back on the sidewalk to get back to my house. This time, he didn't give me a piggy back ride; I was mostly warm from him holding onto me for so long. We soon turned the corner onto the sidewalk on my street, both of us as silent as before.

The thing with Taylor is, there was never an awkward silence. Sometimes we talked until we were blue in the face, and sometimes we were just silent, and when we were, there was never an awkward moment. We've known each other too long. Sometimes, we even know what the other is thinking.

As I was daydreaming again, Taylor took my hand and held it tightly in his. He didn't say anything as I looked up at him – nor did he look at me. He just kept walking with me like it was nothing. I turned away from him then to hide my burning cheeks and the small smile on my lips.

Soon enough, we made it back to my house and once we stepped inside, Taylor dropped my hand to help me take my coat off.

"Nice of you to join us," my mom, Jen, joked from the living room.

"Sorry, mom," I said, feeling kind of bad.

My dad cleared his throat. "Well, now that the teenagers have graced us with their presence, why don't we start-"

"HAYLEY!" Makena, Taylor's eleven-year-old sister, shouted as she and my sister Melanie ran towards us.

"Makena!" I shouted back, opening my arms for a hug.

She latched onto me tightly. "I missed you, Hayley! You and Melanie should move back to L.A. with us when the break is over!"

I let her go and ruffled her hair, knowing it would annoy her. She didn't seem to care though. "I wish we could, but we have to stay here with our parents."

"You can all come!" she begged.

"Oh my god, mom, can we?" Melanie begged, turning to Jen.

"We'll talk about that later, okay, sweetie?" she replied.

"Why can't we talk about it now?" she whined.

"Hey," I said, gently yanking some of Mel's long, dark hair. "Don't whine. It's not a good emotion on you," I warned, not wanting to hear my own eleven-year-old sister whine.

"Oh, shut up, Hayley," she said angrily, sticking out her tongue at me.

"'Shut up, Hayley'," I mimicked, sticking out my tongue as well.

"Mom!" Melanie yelled.

"Mom!" I yelled.

"Hayley, stop messing with your sister, Melanie, stop being dramatic," dad warned us. "Now come on, dinner is ready."

Makena and Melanie walked away from us and followed Daniel and Deborah, Taylor's parents, and my parents into the dining room.

I turned to Taylor who seemed to find me and my sister bickering amusing.

"Oh, shut up, Taylor," I sighed, pulled him with me towards the dining room.

"'Shut up, Taylor'," he mimicked with a laugh.

"I mean it," I said warningly with a laugh.

We walked into the living room where we sat down next to each other as Jen and Deborah served us all. Soon enough we all had steak, potatoes, and some kind of greens on our plates, with tons or more options set before us on the long table. The adults took interest amongst themselves as Makena and Melanie talked about stupid eleven-year-old girl stuff. I couldn't really relate because when Taylor and I were eleven, we talked about stupid eleven-year-old boy stuff.

Taylor and I remained silent, either looking up and glancing at one another or kicking slash nudging one another under the table. This went on for a few minutes when my phone vibrated from my shoe. I reached down under the table, Taylor giving me a weird look, and pulled it into my lap to check to see who texted me. Scarlet. Oh shit, I forgot she was in my room.

_How is it going?_ She texted.

I quickly texted back, _Awesome and sorry I left you up there :[_

I looked up at Taylor, who was still giving me a strange look, and cleared my throat. I was going to eat a spoon full of potatoes when my phone vibrated again.

_It's okay. I'm taking advantage of your DVR._

"So, Hayley, your mom tells me you got a job since the last time we saw you?" Deborah suddenly said, making me jump a little.

"Oh, um, yeah. I work at Arnie's Bakery and Restaurant after school and on weekends," I explained. "I've been working there since February, I think."

"Well, good for you, Hayley," Daniel said, smiling at me. "Did you guys have to get on her about it or did she find it by herself?" he asked my parents.

"No, she decided it for herself and applied to Arnie's. A few days later she got the job," my mom explained, her pride in me evident. I couldn't help but crack a smile. "Elizabeth really wanted her there."

Elizabeth was my boss and she was good friends with my dad's mom, who was also a baker. She was apart of our family.

"And how is theatre going?" he asked.

"Good. We just did Wizard of Oz and I played Dorothy," I said happily.

"Awe, well, good for you, sweetie," Deborah said sweetly. I loved her. She and Daniel were pretty much my second parents.

"And how come we haven't seen it yet, Eric?" Daniel joked, turning to my dad.

"I have the DVD in my office if you want to watch it later," he offered.

After a while, they finally turned back into their own conversations when Taylor nudged me. "You never told me that stuff."

I shrugged and picked at the vegetables in my plate. "I didn't think it was important. And besides, you were probably too busy to even care," I mumbled.

He seemed to understand me anyway. "No matter how busy I get, I will always make time for you. I promise you that, okay?" he whispered in my ear.

I looked up at his serious face and nodded. "Okay."

When dinner was over, we all walked the Lautners to the door. The parents went on and on about how much they missed each other and all of the stuff they have to do while they're in Michigan. I hugged Taylor goodbye, as well as Makena, and before I realized it, they were all gone. It wasn't really a huge deal because they still owned the same house next door and that's where they were staying for the break.

When I was finally off the hook to go upstairs and chill, I walked hurriedly into my room to find Scarlet spread out on my bed, sleeping soundly. I wouldn't have minded if she slept over, but she had a modeling interview in the morning that she didn't want to miss.

I walked over to my bed and shook her awake gently. "Scar, honey, time to wake up," I said softly.

"Five more minutes, Hayl," she mumbled sleepily.

I rolled my eyes and shook her again, this time not as gently. "You have that modeling interview tomorrow that you'll miss if you sleep over here," I warned gently.

At that, she shot up and grabbed onto my arms. "Oh my god, you're right. I need this interview, Hayley!" she exclaimed, jumping out of my bed and quickly putting on her coat. "I love you bunches and I'm sorry I can't stay to hear about the dinner, but I'll call you after the interview and we'll meet for coffee and talk okay?" she managed in one breath.

"I understand."

"That's why I love you!" she sing-songed, and kissed my cheek. "See you later, sweetie pie."

"Bye, Ginger," I waved slightly.

She closed the door behind her after sticking out her tongue. I laughed and walked into my walk in closet and quickly stripped off the dress and put on my comfortable purple Paramore shirt and black sweatpants. I love sweatpants.

After putting on my pajamas, I stepped out and walked into my bathroom to brush my teeth, and then finally climbed into bed. I began flipping through the channels until I got to NickNite, which was having a Fresh Prince marathon. Fresh Prince of Bel-Air was one of my favorite TV shows. I watched episode after episode until I finally dozed off somewhere in the middle of the all night marathon.

My eyes flew open when I heard soft tack sounds on my window. I checked the time. 2:34 am. "What the hell?" I mumbled. _Tack._

I climbed out of my bed and meandered over to the window. I opened it and looked down to see a half naked Taylor standing by the tree that led up to my window.

"I'm guessing you want to come inside?" I asked.

"Please?" he asked.

I nodded and stepped away from the window, giving him a chance to do what ever he did to get up to my second story window in merely seconds.

Once he got up and in through the window, he smiled down at me. "Couldn't sleep," he said innocently.

I smiled back. "Want to make a fort?" I asked.

He nodded happily.

I went over to my closet and brought out two sleeping bags, a few extra pillows, and a few giant blankets. I threw the sleeping bags and pillows at him, which he caught flawlessly. He rolled them out next to each other in the middle of the floor as I began to spread the blankets in mid air and tie the ends to each other and to the end posts of my bed and desk legs, making a perfect fort above the sleeping bags.

Taylor and I each occupied a sleeping bag and laid on our sides to stare at each other. We were silent for a few minutes.

"I miss being here with you. And doing all of the things we did when we were kids," he spoke up.

"I do too," I agreed honestly.

"Remember the time we went wandering in the woods and almost got lost, but you had that lame compass on you and actually knew where you were going with it?" he asked.

"Hey, that compass saved your werewolf ass, okay."

"No, I think you did," he said seriously, staring fiercely into my eyes.

I looked away and nodded. "Yeah, but all the other times, you were saving me. Whether is was from the stupid 3rd grade boys who wanted to pick on me, or the 3rd grade girls who thought I was a disgrace to all girlhood," I said sadly, still looking away.

"Hey," he sighed, taking my chin into his large hand. "You may not be like other girls, but that's what I loved about you and what I still love about you. You understood my quirky boy nature that other girls didn't. You didn't think I had cooties," he laughed.

I finally met his eyes and nodded. I expected him to let go of me, but he didn't. Instead, he kept staring at me, and tucked a loose hair behind my ear with his other hand.

"What are you staring at?" I finally asked, suddenly becoming nervous.

"I-I...uh..." he leaned in and kissed my cheek sweetly. "Get some sleep," he told me, letting me go finally. "You look exhausted."

I nodded once more and laid my head down onto my pillow, and closed my eyes. He did the same, but pulled me close to him, my head resting against his chest. His steady heartbeat was the most beautiful lullaby I could have asked for.

* * *

><p>The next morning, when I woke up, I was no longer in Taylor's arms. In fact, Taylor wasn't even next to me. I frowned and climbed out from under the fort. I ventured downstairs to find Taylor, Makena, and Melanie at the bar counter in the kitchen all eating pancakes as my dad cooked them in front of them. Taylor heard me walk in and smiled at me.<p>

"Hey, sleepyhead. I'm taking you to the mall today, so go get ready," he smiled.

I smiled back and nodded. "Okay."

"Want any pancakes, Hayl?" my dad asked.

"No, I'm good," I passed as I began walking back upstairs and into my room to get ready. I took a fast shower, blow-dried my hair, flat ironed it, and quickly applied light eyeliner. I wore a simple black hoodie that said 'LOVE' in big white letters and some skinny jeans. Once I made my way back downstairs, Taylor was on the couch, watching Saturday shows with Melanie and Makena. They were watching Hannah Montana which actually made me giggle.

"Ready, Taylor?" I asked, walking down into the foyer to get my bag.

"Yep," he said, and jumped up from the couch. "See you guys later," he said.

"Bye, Taylor, bye Hayley," the two said in unison, not taking their eyes from the screen.

I laughed and pulled him with me outside and to my '04 Nissan Altima, named Padfoot from Harry Potter. He was an older car, but I loved him with all my heart.

I climbed in the driver's side as he climbed in the passengers side. "Are you sure it's safe for you to go to a mall...or really in public in general?" I asked.

"Hayley, it's 10 am. What teenage girl goes to the mall at 10 am on a Saturday?" he asked, buckling his seat belt.

"Good point." I put on my own and started the car. I pulled quickly out of the driveway and sped off to the mall.

Once Taylor and I got inside, it was pretty deserted since it probably opened just 15 minutes before. It was good though, because it meant that Taylor and I could have a good time without any crazy fans.

We walked around until we found something of interest, which was Hot Topic. We went inside and went through all of the _Eclipse_ merchandise they had. I whipped out my camera and took a bunch of pictures of Taylor holding a bunch of Jacob Black merchandise. Once we did that, we went into Dillards where he convinced me to try on dresses with him. We picked out a bunch of frilly prom dresses in our sizes and tried them on in the same dressing room, due to the lack of assistants. Taylor had a big pink lacy dress with a bunch of bows while I had a long and slender aqua colored one. We laughed at each other and took a bunch of pictures of us in the dresses.

In the several hours we spent there, we just goofed off in random stores and took silly pictures. Then, when we came across a photo booth, we got inside and took even more silly pictures, each one of us with our own copy.

"I still can't believe you put on a dress just so I would," I laughed, eating a french fry. We finally got tired and hungry and decided to get food and sit in the food court.

"I still can't believe you stripped that mannequin naked in the store window," he laughed, throwing one of his own at me, referring to the mannequin in Victoria's Secret.

"Oh, Scarlet works there and lets me do what ever in there," I laughed.

"So, when do I get to-"

"Oh my god, Taylor Lautner!" a girl a few feet away exclaimed to her friend.

"Great," I said sarcastically, just knowing that this would happen.

The two girls approached our table, looking very nervous. "H-Hi, Taylor, can we get a picture with you?" one asked.

"Of course," he said sweetly, and stood up and began taking pictures with them.

Very slowly, the crowd grew bigger and bigger. As I watched all of these girls faun over my best friend and latch onto him like he was some kind of God, I couldn't help but get a little bothered. He was my best friend way before Jacob Black and they were all gaga over him for his hotness and muscles. They didn't know him like I did – they probably thought they did, but they don't. He was _my _Taylor _way _before he was anybody else's.

* * *

><p>I waited until a little after midnight before I decided to venture over to Taylor's. After Taylor and I went to the mall, we hit all of the local shops in downtown Grand Rapids, and when we came home, we were stuck babysitting our sisters. My parents and his parents decided that they wanted to double at a fancy restaurant and catch up without us kids. It really wasn't that big of a deal because all we had to do was make sure Mel and Mak ate something and weren't doing anything dangerous or stupid. Ever since I sent Melanie up to bed and Taylor took Makena back to his house, I've been stuck in my room waiting for Taylor to come back. I gave it a good two hours before I decided to slip on my Paramore hoodie and black moccasins and climb out my window and into the tree. When Taylor and I were younger, we climbed trees all the time, so I had no problem getting to the ground from my two story window. I walked to the gate in my back yard fence that led into Taylor's backyard.<p>

I found the tree that led up to his window and stopped to see his window wide open. I smiled to myself and began climbing the teen aged tree. It took a few minutes but I finally climbed through the window and plopped on the floor with a 'thump'. I tucked the hair in my face behind my ears and looked around his room. His door was shut and he was sleeping silently on his bed. I smiled to myself when I realized he still had the same blue paint on the walls, motocross and muscle car posters, mini basketball hoop on the door, and a few huge weights and martial arts equipment in the corner by his desk that looked brand new and never used (even though it was purchased years ago before he moved), he had before he moved to L.A.

I smiled once more and crawled over to his bed and after kicking off my moccasins, I climbed in next to him. I maneuvered myself under the covers and rested my head on the pillow next to his.

"I was wondering when you were going to get here," he mumbled without moving or opening his eyes.

"It took me a few minutes but I finally caught on."

He chuckled and wrapped his bare arms around me and gave me a tight squeeze. "Come here. I've missed you so much."

"You saw me a few hours ago?" I frowned.

"I meant since I last saw you two summers ago."

"Oh. Well, I've missed you too," I whispered, resting my head against his bare chest.

"We need to hang out as much as we can while I'm here."

"I know and we will. Just not as much tomorrow. I have to work from 8 to 3."

"I have work to do with my publicist in the morning, so we can do something in the evening."

I sat up and grimaced.

"What?" he asked, his eyes now open and staring into mine.

"You're on vacation," I whined. "Why are you doing publicity stuff?"

"I'm not very happy about it either, Hayl. It's just this one thing. I promise."

I sighed and laid back down against him. "I hate that I have to share _my best friend _with the world. You were mine first. You were my first best friend. Do you know how important to me that is?"

"Hayley, come on. I'm here now for a month. Let's make the most of it, please?"

By the look of his eyes, I knew he wanted me to drop it for now. "Okay."

We both remained silent for several minutes and before I knew it, Taylor was sound asleep. Before I let myself drift off to dream land, I set an alarm around 4 o'clock on my iPhone to wake me up so I could get back to my room and make sure no one found me in Taylor's room, sleeping by him.

After putting the alarm on vibrate so it wouldn't wake up Taylor, and shoving it into my pocket, I let myself fall fast asleep. When my alarm finally went off, it felt like no time passed from when I first set it. I honestly didn't feel like getting up; Taylor was so warm and comfortable. I knew I had to and after a few minutes, I finally climbed out of his bed, slipped my shoes back on, and climbed out the window and back into the tree. I made it safely to the ground, then hurried back to my room.

After shutting my window and climbing into bed, my phone vibrated. A text from Taylor.

_You didn't have to leave._

I shook my head and quickly texted back.

_Yes I did. Our parents would be weird if they found us like that._

_Like what? We're just best friends. It's not like we're in love or want to have sex._

I frowned, a little caught off guard at the last part.

_Go to sleep. I'll see you later today._

His lack of a response told me he did what I said, which put me at ease. I hooked my phone up to my alarm clock and finally let myself catch a few more hours of much needed sleep.

* * *

><p><em>Well, get go you shovel<em>

_And we'll dig a deep hole_

_To bury the castle, bury the castle_

_Ba da ba ba da ba ba da_

"Brick By Boring Brick" blared from my clock at 7 o'clock a few hours later, Hayley Williams yelling at me to get up and get dressed for work. I slammed the giant play/pause button with my fist and groaned. I really didn't feel like going to work today. Despite my teenage laziness, I got out of bed and disappeared into my bathroom. I stripped off my clothes, stepped into the shower, and let the soothing hot water run down my body. A morning shower is the best way to wake up when you're pretty tired.

I cut my shower short, threw on my black pants and white v-neck shirt mandatory for work and pinned my hair up into a neat bun. When my boss Elizabeth first interviewed me for the job, she told me that normally, hair like mine wouldn't cut it since it's bright orange and yellow. But since we were like family, we compromised on keeping my hair very nice and neat, which I am more than happy with. She knew how attached I was to my hair color.

While putting on a small amount of eye liner and mascara, Scarlet called.

"Hello?"

"Hey loser, meet me at Starbucks in five. Whoever gets there first orders coffee." She hung up before I had a chance to object or even get another word in besides 'hello'.

I sighed and shoved my phone in my pocket and grabbed my bag from the chair in the corner. I quickly hurried downstairs and was about to run out the-

"Morning, Hayley," my dad called from the kitchen.

I mentally cursed and shut the front door, which I had barely opened before he stopped me. "Morning, dad," I said, entering the kitchen.

"Where are you off to?" he asked, making pancakes on the stove of our huge island.

"Going to meet Scar for coffee and work at 8," I explained, sitting at one of the bar stools across from the stove. "Didn't you make pancakes yesterday?"

"Yes."

"So, why are you making them again?"

"I make good pancakes, Hayley." He seemed annoyed. "And they're for your mother and sister, who, to answer your next question, are still sleeping."

"Well, excuse me." His tone pissed me off. He sounded like a teenager. I got up from the stool and headed to the door. That was one of the things I kind of hated about my dad. He was sarcastic and acted like he was annoyed with me all the time. He wasn't like this when I was little, but it started when I was about twelve and went to middle school. I wonder if he'll start doing it to Melanie. She was turning twelve soon and she's in sixth grade...

"Hayley," he sighed and turned off the burner. "Come here," he said gently.

I did what he asked and once I was close enough, he gave me a huge hug.

"I'm sorry," he mumbled.

I nodded and pulled away, not even bothering to hug him back.

"Want me to drive you to where ever you're going?" he offered kindly.

"No, I'm fine. I have my car," I mumbled. I quickly hurried to the door and outside before he could get another word in. I let out a huge sigh, then peered over at the Lautner's. It looked deserted just like it does for most of the year when they are in L.A. Knowing Taylor was with his publicist, I wondered what the rest of them were doing. The rental car wasn't in the driveway.

I pushed the thought away when I realized that I need to get moving or Scar was going to have my ass for being late. I quickly jumped in my Nissan and sped off to the Starbucks by the bakery. By the time I got there, I could already see Scar sitting in the window table with two drinks in front of her while doing something on her iPhone. I opened the door and quickly sat across from her.

"Sorry I'm late. I had to talk to Powell for a few minutes," I explained, and reached out for the cup in front of me. "Green tea, unsweetened?"

"Yup."

"Thank you," I said, digging into my pocket for money to pay her back.

"Don't worry about it," she protested, not looking away from her phone.

"Well, then I'll be the early one next time."

"Sounds good to me." She put down her phone and gave me her full attention. "So, what's up with Hayley today?"

I shrugged and took a sip of my tea. "Not much. Just working and probably going to see Taylor later."

"Sounds fun," she commented when her phone vibrated.

"Who are you texting?" I sighed.

She picked up her phone and began texting away. "Will."

I rolled my eyes and put my head on my arms on the table. "Scar..." I groaned. "He's a no good bastard that loves you one minute and cheats on you the next. You need and deserve someone a lot better."

"I know," she sighed, and put her phone back down. "But he's just so hot and he's sweet when he wants to be, plus he's _amazing _in-"

"Please don't say it," I groaned.

"In bed," she finished.

"There's more to a relationship than sex, Scarlet," I lectured, meeting her eyes.

"I know, Hayl."

"Do you?"

"Yes, now can we please talk about something else? Like what did you and Taylor do yesterday?"

I sighed and tucked my hands under my hands under my chin. "Let's see, he dragged my ass to the mall at ten o'clock in the morning, went to all the local shops downtown, and babysat Melanie and Makena when we got home so our parents could go out together. And...that's about it."

"Hmmm, fun," she widened her eyes to accompany her sarcasm.

"It was, okay?" I laughed, suddenly thinking of the mall. "He put on a really frilly prom dress just so I would. And he was being really silly. It was hilarious. And he's just so much fun to hang out with him. And babysitting Mel and Mak was nothing. We were just there to make sure they were okay," I explained.

"So, no one noticed Taylor at the mall, or downtown?" she asked, emulating my smile.

"Well, not exactly. When we were in the food court, all of these girls started coming up to him, asking for a picture or autograph. It was really weird and it really pissed me off," I explained, taking another sip of my tea.

"Um, Hayley? You're best friends with _Taylor Lautner_. Of course that's going to happen when you go out in public with him," Scarlet tried to explain, even though she knew I didn't care who he was or how famous he was.

"Yeah, but they don't _know _him at all like I do. All they see is a cute face and a hot body and what seems like a cute personality and BAM! They're in love with him!" I whined.

She looked down at her coffee and started fingering the lid while a smile took over her lips.

"What?" I sighed quietly.

"So, what's your reason, Hayl?" She looked up at me with a coy smile, obviously amused.

"What's my reason for what?"

"Why are you in love with him?"

I bit my lip and looked down. "I'm not...in love with him. It just pisses me off that all of these people that don't know him assume they do and love the person they think he is, and I'm aloud to be upset as a best friend." I looked up at her with the most serious face I could muster up. I didn't want her to think she had my feelings for Taylor all figured out. Even I wasn't completely sure about them.

"Okay. Forget I said anything."

"Excuse me?" a little voice piped behind me.

I turned around to find a small little girl maybe eight or nine. She had long blonde hair tied up in pigtails with green bows, and the biggest and bluest eyes I had ever seen. She was accompanied by her mother who I recognized as a regular from the bakery.

"Hi, sweetie," I smiled. "What'd you need?"

She held out the December issue of _Teen Vogue _with Taylor on the front. "Aren't you Hayley Powell? Taylor talked about his best friend," she mumbled, opening the magazine to the interview and photo shoot with Taylor, "and I'm pretty sure this is you." She held out the magazine again where a picture of Taylor and I taken earlier this year was pasted in the margins.

I smiled and nodded. "Yeah, that's me."

"Really?" A bright smile of her own appeared on her sweet face. "Can I have your autograph?"

I laughed and nodded when she held out a sharpie. "What's your name, sweetheart?" I asked, taking the sharpie and magazine from her.

"Isabelle," she smiled.

I grinned once more and silently signed next to my picture, careful of the interview:

_To Isabelle, my first ever fan. Love, Hayley_

I handed her back the sharpie and magazine to let her read it. "There you go."

She quickly read it and looked up at me with an even bigger smile. "Thank you!"

"Thank _you_, Isabelle."

"Come on, Isabelle. It's time to go," her mom said, pushing her gently in the direction of the door. "Thank you, Hayley," she smiled genuinely.

"No problem," I smiled back. I turned back to Scarlet who had the biggest grin on her face when they left. "What, Scar?" I laughed.

"That was so cute!" she gushed. "You have a fan! And Taylor talked about you in a magazine interview."

"Yeah," I smiled. "I guess I do and I guess he did." I glanced down at my watch and realized it was getting close to eight. "Oh shit, I have to go."

"But I didn't even get to tell you about the modeling interview!" she whined.

"I'm sorry, Scar. Tell you what. Come in when I'm on break and we'll talk over lunch at Arnie's?"

"Text me when to come over," she sighed with a slight smile.

"Love you, Ginge. Thanks for the tea." I slipped the strap of my purse on my shoulder, stood up, and grabbed my tea. "Bye."

"Bye. Love you," she smiled.

I hurried out of Starbucks and made it into work with a few minutes to spare. I quickly slipped on my apron and lost myself in bakery sales, bitchy customers, and loving co-workers which my shy self disabled me from talking to.

By the time I was ready to go to lunch, it was around eleven o'clock. Scarlet met up with me and we had lunch while my friend and coworker Morgan served us. Scarlet told me how she got the job at the modeling agency and she's going to be one of the models in the upcoming Detroit Fashion Show. She told me that she mentioned to the director that I was an amazing make-up artist and that the two of us have an appointment to meet with him next week. I was ecstatic because if I got the gig, it meant major brownie points for theatre in the costume and make-up department.

After an hour of lunch with Scarlet, I paid the bill and she had to leave to go to work. I went back to the bakery and after a couple hours of waiting on customers, Morgan came over to me and threw her waiter apron at me while I was folding boxes.

"Table six requested you wait on them," she explained, a huge smile on her face. "It's Taylor."

Every one at school and work knew I grew up with Taylor and that we were best friends, but they still got weird over him when he came into town.

I took off my apron, gave it to her, and slipped hers on.

"God, he's so gorgeous," she sighed, looking at him in the restaurant.

I rolled my eyes and reached for her pad of paper and pen and entered the restaurant. I grabbed a few menus and silverware and found my way easily to table six, putting on a smile for Taylor and who I assumed was his publicist.

"Hey, Taylor," I smiled, setting menus in front of him and his publicist.

He smiled and got up to hug me. "We had to come see you for lunch."

"Well, I'm glad you're here," I smiled as he sat down.

"Hayley, this is my amazing publicist Evelyn, and Evelyn, this is Hayley," he introduced.

I stuck my hand out to Evelyn and smiled shyly. "Hi. It's nice to meet you."

She took my hand and shook it gently. "It's nice to meet you too, Hayley. Taylor has mentioned you several times before," she smiled, glancing at Taylor who blushed.

"Oh he has, has he?" I asked, glancing at him as well. Evelyn and I shared a laugh when Taylor got even more red. "What can I get you to drink?"

"Water for me, please," Evelyn said politely.

"Make it two, please," Taylor said.

"Okay, I'll be back in a few."

I went to go get their drinks and put their meal order once they ordered. It only took them a little less than an hour to eat and before they left, Taylor gave me a quick hug and told me that he would be ready to hang when I got back home. I didn't have to close today so I was able to leave right at three when I was finished with my last customer. I got home a little after three and found my house surprisingly empty.

I closed the front door behind me after walking in and paused. There weren't any cars in the driveway and the only car in the garage was my dad's which he only used for work when my mom wasn't working (my mom Jennifer was a teacher at EGR High as well; she taught French and Arts and Humanities) because they just used hers most of the time.

Taylor's house looked deserted as well, so I figured I had the house to myself.

I started heading for the stairs when I heard a faint female voice coming from my dad's office. It was my own voice. I frowned slightly and redirected myself to his office. When I got to the doorway, I could see Taylor sitting in the chair in front of my dad's desk and my dad behind the desk, both of them concentrating on the DVD of one of my last performances as Dorothy in _The Wizard of OZ _on the flat screen on the wall in front of the desk, the scene where I sang "Somewhere Over the Rainbow" in Kansas playing on the screen.

"You just had to see it, didn't you?" I asked Taylor.

He turned to me and immediately smiled. "Even I can agree that your voice is more real and beautiful than most of the artists out there."

"Oh shut up," I blushed.

"And your acting is pretty good. Hayl, if you really wanted, you could be famous." He turned back to the TV and stared at the Dorothy me for several minutes.

"Taylor's right," my dad mumbled in the background, focused back on the screen.

"We'll see after Columbia."

Taylor got up and turned to me. "So what are we going to do?"

"Want to make and decorate cupcakes?"

He smiled. "You just got off work from a bakery and you want to make cupcakes?"

"Bakeries change you," I laughed. "I've picked up decorating from Arnie's and I love it."

He laughed and followed me into the kitchen.


	3. Chapter 3

I've decided that I will update every Monday. Thanks for the feedback!

* * *

><p>Taylor and I decided to make devil's food cupcakes with red roses on top out of french vanilla icing, both of our mother's favorite.<p>

I did all the baking while Taylor tasted everything and helped line the pans with cupcake liners. Baking is really fun, but decorating the cupcakes when they're done is my favorite part.

I let Taylor add red food coloring to the icing while I got out parchment paper to make tubes of icing. When he was finished mixing the icing, I rolled the tubes, filled them with icing, and began to make roses on the cupcakes.

"That's so cool," Taylor said, watching me close.

"Thanks," I mumbled, focusing on the cupcake.

I put roses on all the cupcakes and set them on a glass display before we cleaned up the kitchen.

We spent the rest of the day watching romantic Christmas comedies before I passed out shortly after eight. I vaguely remember Taylor carrying me upstairs and putting me in bed before he went home himself.

The next morning, after I ate breakfast, I went over to Taylor's to see what he was up to. I knocked on the door but Makena was the one to answer the door.

"Hey, Mack, is Taylor home?" I asked politely.

"No, he went on a run half an hour ago."

"Oh, okay, I'll catch up with him later. See you later, girl."

"Bye, Hayley," she waved before closing the door.

I went back home and decided to go over to Arnie's to get my schedule for the week; I got a new schedule every Monday because my shifts always varied every week.

I disappeared into the back when I got to Arnie's and found the schedule. I worked Tuesday from seven to one, Wednesday from ten to five-

"You didn't tell me Scarlet and Taylor were friends," Morgan said, sliding next to me on the counter.

I looked down at her with a frown. "What are you talking about?"

"Scarlet and Taylor are having lunch right now. I'm waiting on them."

My eyes narrowed. Neither one of them told me about the other hanging with them.

"Seriously?"

She grabbed my arm gently and led me back in the store, then took me over to where our co-worker Katie hosted in the front of the restaurant.

"Hey, Hayley," she greeted me sweetly. She was a nice girl.

"Hey, Katie," I replied, looking into the restaurant, trying to find my best friends.

"They're at table ten," Morgan spoke up.

I glanced to the table and found Scarlet and Taylor engaged in what seemed like a little too friendly conversation. Scarlet laughed at something Taylor must have said and put her hand over his on the table, trying to act as sexy as possible. Yep, there's her low cut Pink top from Victoria's Secret, her boobs pushed up by nothing other than a Bombshell bra.

"God, she can be such a slut," I mumbled, not watching what I was saying.

"Damn, Hayl."

I looked at Morgan and she looked confused. "I didn't know they were friends."

"Oh," Morgan said, and her face flushed with color. "I'm sorry, I shouldn't have said anything."

"No, I'm glad you did," I said, my eyes on Taylor. He looked up at me, his eyes widening slightly. "I have to go. I'm working tomorrow so I'll see you then."

"Bye, girl," Morgan and Katie said in unison, both looking helpless and sad.

I left the restaurant and drove back home, not sure how I felt about what just happened. I was mad, definitely, but...why? They were both my best friends. Is it because I know Scarlet and I knew she wanted to have sex with Taylor?

Yep. That was exactly it.

* * *

><p>After lazing around all day at the house, not having heard a word from Taylor, I finally decided to go ahead and go over to Scarlet's house to talk to her about what happened. Scarlet lived perhaps a quarter of an hour from me and I knew that her parents would be gone for a few days on vacation before Christmas Eve.<p>

I didn't bother knocking on her door once I got to her house. The house was dark and seemed empty, although I knew Scarlet was home because her car was in the driveway.

"Scar?" I called, climbing the stairs toward her bedroom. "Scarlet?" I walked down the long hallway and slowly opened the closed door on the right. The first thing I saw was Scarlet sleeping soundly in her bed, the white bed sheets wrapped around her naked body. Her Pink top and Bombshell bra and tight skinnies, as well as a man's clothes were strewn about on the floor.

I didn't realize the water from the shower was running in her bathroom until someone turned it off. Several seconds later and Taylor, with a white towel wrapped around his hips and nothing else, came quietly out of the bathroom. It took him a few seconds to realize that I was standing in the doorway, and when he did, he froze in his tracks.

I shook my head with a roll of my eyes and walked furiously out of her room. I was halfway down the hallway when a hard pull to my arm whipped me around to lock eyes with Taylor.

"Did you seriously just _sleep _with my _best friend_? Really, Taylor, I mean really?" I sighed and slapped his hand from my arm as I continued down the hallway.

"Hayley, wait." He grabbed my arm again and held me close to him. "Let me explain."

"Just get off me," I grunted, struggling.

"Not until you let me explain!"

He was too strong, so I pulled back my hand and slapped him across the face, hard.

He grunted and let go of me immediately.

"Don't talk to me!" I shouted as I hurried down the stairs. Before I left the house, I heard Scarlet run out into the hallway.

"Taylor, what happened?" she exclaimed.

I slammed the door behind me before I could hear Taylor's response.

I came home around eight thirty and skipped dinner to mope in my room. I stayed up all night watching pointless television. I couldn't sleep at all and a part of me was waiting for someone. Even though I was furious at Taylor and Scarlet both, I was still wishing Taylor would climb through my window and spend the night in my bed with me. It was well past four thirty when I realized he wasn't coming tonight. Or perhaps many nights after.

* * *

><p>"Okay, if you guys would get out your literary analysis's from the break and I'll be around to collect them," my dad said from his desk once the bell rang, signaling the start of sixth hour.<p>

I pulled out my analysis over the play _She Stoops to Conquer _by Oliver Goldsmith, which was a play first performed in London in 1773. I was sitting in the far right back corner of the room, while Scarlet sat in the front with Will.

I was busy trapped in my own thoughts about what happened since the night I hit Taylor when my dad brought me back to reality. "I can see you two are still not speaking?" he asked in a softer tone, referring to me and Scarlet.

I looked up at him and nodded. "Nope. Not since I hit Taylor at her house," I explained in just above a whisper as I handed him my paper.

"So you basically haven't spoken all break?" he asked, sticking my paper in the stack of the others.

"Basically."

"We'll talk after class," he explained, then moved on to the boy named Cody seated in front of me.

"Kay."

The day after I hit Taylor, my parents made me go apologize and explain to his parents why I hit him. I felt like I was five again. They acted pissed in front of Taylor, but Dan and Deb both told me they understood.

Taylor nor Scarlet spoke to me and I half expected the large package wrapped in brown paper that had _Hayley_ scrawled in Taylor's handwriting waiting for me on my half opened window sill on Christmas morning. An envelope addressed to me, with my house address and everything was neatly printed with fancy letters and on the back was the Hogwarts wax seal (much like the envelope Harry received from Hogwarts in the first film). When I opened the envelope, I discovered two tickets to The Wizarding World of Harry Potter in Universal Studios in Orlando, Florida, and a letter telling me that I was invited to Hogwarts (in the theme park) to stay for a week with whom ever I decided to bring. I couldn't go until it opened, which was in June, but it was nice to have a reservation. The letter looked like a legit letter from Dumbledore himself, which made me smile.

When I opened the package, I found the gold Time Turner necklace, Bellatrix Lestrange's wand, the Marauder's Map, a Gryffindor House tie and scarf, a Hedwig plush, and Harry Potter's glasses. Taylor always knew how much I loved Harry Potter.

Later that Christmas evening, after both our families did the morning Christmas present opening ritual, the Lautners and Powells gathered at Taylor's house for Christmas dinner. When I saw Taylor, I couldn't help but give him a huge hug and thank him for everything. He hugged me back but didn't say a word.

Way later that night I sneaked into Taylor's room and placed his Christmas present from me on his desk, which consisted of a Michigan Wolverines football jersey with _LAUTNER_ printed as the name on the back, and a photo album I made weeks before that consisted of photos of us together since we were babies up until now. My gift felt completely lame compared to what mine was and what he had in L.A., but I knew he would love it. Even if we weren't speaking and the fact that he gets anything and everything he could ever want.

Since then, neither of us have spoken a word to each other. We stopped hanging out and from what I heard, he began spending a lot of what would be Hayley time, with Scarlet. I didn't know if they were dating, or friends with benefits, or what, but I didn't really care.

My daily routine over the break became: stay up all night watching crappy movies or reading my entire Marvel comic book collection (we're talking 300 issues of all the major Marvel superheroes and villains) and crying, sleep all day if I didn't have to work, and if I did, I slept as soon as I came home.

I began skipping a lot of meals, either because I just forgot, or I didn't think about it.

I honestly didn't want to admit to being depressed; I honestly didn't think I was. I just thought of myself as bored with nothing to do.

Taylor ended up leaving two weeks early back to L.A., the day before school started again for me, then off to Baton Rouge to start filming _Breaking Dawn_. When it was time to take the Lautners to the airport, and say goodbye till the next time, I hugged both Dan and Deborah, and gave Makena a huge bear hug. Taylor and I just glanced at each other, and nothing more.

Scarlet and I haven't talked since the Sunday Taylor and I made cupcakes. The first day we came back to school, we continued to act like we were never friends. We were never rude or vicious to each other; we just stopped talking and hanging out.

She began hanging out with Will and his friends, talking to him in between classes, talked to him in class, and ate lunch with him. I didn't bother bringing my lunch so I just went to the library and read a few issues of _The Mighty Thor_ before I had to go to fourth hour for Theatre Arts.

I guess you could say I was officially friendless.

I ended up falling asleep on my desk for the rest of sixth hour until my dad woke me up. "Hayley, you missed all of today's notes," he sighed.

I slowly sat up and looked around me; everyone was gone. "What time is it?" I asked drowsily.

"Two-thirty."

"Oh, well, I'm sorry dad," I yawned.

"Why don't you come up and talk to me?" he asked, already walking up towards his desk.

I sat up from my own and walked across the room until I found the desk in the front left corner of the room in front of my dad's desk.

"So, how was your day?" he asked, leaning on his desk with crossed arms.

I shrugged and rested my chin on my hand, propped up on the desk by my elbow. "I ate lunch in the library."

"And by that you mean you read a bunch of comic books." It wasn't much a question than it was a statement.

"Yes."

"Did you talk to anyone at all today?" he asked, now seeming concerned.

"Nope."

"Not even your teachers?"

"Well, I answered when I was called on, which was hardly ever."

"You seriously don't have any friends at all besides Taylor and Scarlet?"

"I don't have any friends at all anymore," I answered nonchalantly, the sad fact not even phasing me.

"Hayley, what did you have for breakfast?"

"Nothing."

"And you ate nothing for lunch. You plan on eating dinner?"

"I wasn't thinking about it."

"Did you sleep last night?"

"I couldn't."

"How has work been?"

"Okay. Normal. Fine."

"Hayley-"

"Dad, I know where you're going with this, but I am _not _depressed. I'm fine, okay. Just please stop worrying. I'm perfectly fine. Now can I go home? I have a few hours of homework and I'm tired."

"Yeah, sure," he sighed and stood up from the desk. He wrapped me in a big hug and kissed my head. "I'm always here if you need to talk."

"Yep." I hugged him back then left without another word.

My ride home from school seemed like a blur, and so did the few hours I did my homework. I crashed on the couch immediately after until I woke up at around midnight.

I made my way back to my room and couldn't fall asleep until an hour before I usually got ready for school. When I did wake back up, I didn't even bother changing out of my white Hello Kitty pajama pants, nor my red t-shirt that had a naked tree silhouette in an even darker red print. I simply put on my blue checkered slip on vans and my plain black zip up hoodie. I didn't feel like showering, which sounded gross, but instead put on more deodorant and perfume and instead of contacts, I put on my Ray-Ban wayfarer glasses, which I haven't done in years. I pulled my hair back into a loose pony tail and made it downstairs about twenty minutes before I was supposed to leave for school.

I grabbed my keys from the kitchen table and just decided I would go to the bakery for some coffee and maybe a donut or two.

"Hayley?" my mom called when I was about to leave.

I turned around and saw my mom dressed for work as she headed into the kitchen. "Yeah?"

"Come here, sweetie."

I closed the front door and dropped my backpack at the door. I slid into one of the bar table chairs and stared at my mom. "What'd you need?" I asked politely.

"Your father and I are going to take you to school, okay?" she explained, pouring herself and my dad a cup of coffee.

"Yeah, sure. I don't mind."

"You want a cup?" she asked, already reaching for a third cup from the cupboard.

"Yes, please."

She poured me a cup and left it black, just like I liked it, when my dad and Melanie bounced down the stairs. Melanie sat down next to me and gave me a funny look when dad began fixing his coffee to his liking.

"Why aren't you dressed for school? And what's with the glasses? You haven't worn those in forever," she asked, digging into the chocolate muffin my mom set in front of her.

"I _am_ dressed for school, and I don't know, I didn't feel like bothering with my contacts."

My parents shared a skeptical look when my dad stepped in. "Come on, Melanie, I'll walk you to school."

"Okay." She grabbed her muffin and they both left from the front door.

Her middle school was a five minute walk away, and one of my parents usually walked her every morning.

My dad came back in ten minutes and then we soon left in mom's car for school after finishing our coffee and locking up the house. I honestly didn't mind letting them drive me; it gave me another fifteen minutes to sleep and it meant that I didn't have to worry about finding a parking spot in the senior parking lot.

Once we got to school, I left my parents to get to my locker and get what I need for first and second hour. I was given several weird looks, but I honestly didn't care.

I was just finishing putting the stuff I didn't need when someone slammed my locker shut and pulled me a few yards away. "Excuse you!" I shouted.

Scarlet stopped and turned to face me. "Look, I need to tell you something."

I crossed my arms and hardened my expression. "What?"

She looked down and began fiddling with the keys in her hand. "Taylor is flying in this weekend to see me."

I rolled my eyes and walked back to my locker. I began to turn the knob when she jogged over. "You dragged me from my locker to tell me that? I don't really care what you or Taylor do. Just, please, leave me out of it, okay?" I asked, opening my locker and putting the last of my things inside.

"Hayley, I miss you, okay?" Scarlet finally said in just above a whisper.

"Scarlet, you slept with my best friend and he slept with you. Don't you know how weird that is for me? And I'm assuming that the sex hasn't stopped there." I slammed my locker shut and hurried down the hallway toward the stairs.

"Well, no," she admitted, following me. "But you hit Taylor!" she exclaimed, grabbing my arm, causing me to stop.

"He deserved it!" I shouted, squirming from her grasp.

"Hayley!" she called again as I ascended B stairwell and out of sight. This time, she didn't follow.

By the time I got to my dad's classroom, I was in tears. He immediately stood up from his desk and held me tight as I sobbed in his arms.

"Hayley, what..."

I cried for a few minutes, well aware that his first hour seniors were staring, but I didn't care. By the time the second bell rang, my dad let go of me and tucked a lock of hair behind my ear.

"Hayley, you have to go to class, okay? We'll talk during lunch."

I nodded and let go of him. I walked back into the hallway and when I did, Will slapped the comics out of my hands and took my glasses off, then tossed them down the hallway to one of his friends, who then tossed them into the guy's bathroom.

"And by the way, I love the knew look," he laughed and high fived the guy next to him. They all began walking, but not before Will kicked some of my comics away from me when I bent down to get them. The final bell rang and they raced down the hallway toward their classes.

I quickly picked up all my comics and retrieved my glasses that were lying on the boy's bathroom floor and hurried down to my college English class.

"I'm sorry I'm late, Mrs. Bennett. I lost my glasses," I explained when I came in the door.

"It's okay, but you have to go get a late slip, honey."

"Yes ma'am," I turned on my heel and headed towards the main office.

This was going to be my first detention.

* * *

><p>It was after I came home that very day from detention when Melanie sat next to me at the bar counter and stared at me while I tried to finish my Pre-Cal homework.<p>

"Do you need something?" I asked, not looking up from my work.

"You have dark, purple rings under your eyes."

"And?" My eyes remained on my paper.

She lifted up my shirt to expose my torso, and made a face.

"Excuse you!" I exclaimed, pulling my shirt back down. "What is wrong with you?" I sneered.

"I can see your ribs..." she whispered, resting her head on the counter.

"Yes, well, I've always been able to," I sighed, turning back to my work.

"Why don't you just talk to Taylor and stop being depressed all the time! Mom and dad won't say anything, but...you aren't eating, I know you aren't sleeping! I can only imagine what school is like for you, and you look like a zombie!" She was staring at me with a hard expression, sighing heavily from her outburst.

I slowly turned to her, and at the the top of my lungs, I screamed, "I'm not depressed! Just leave me alone!"

I grabbed my homework and hurried up the stairs to my room when my mom grabbed my hand. "Sweetie, what happened?"

"Mom, just please, I need some time alone," I begged, already feeling the water works.

She nodded and let go of me. When she did, I ran into my room and slammed the door, hoping that I could just isolate myself from the world for a while.

* * *

><p>"Deborah, I don't know what to do anymore. She won't eat. She can't sleep. I can hear her crying at night. You should see her at school. She always looks like she's in her own little sad world and she talks to no one. She and Scarlet won't even speak to each other. I know there's a possibility of severe depression, but she won't admit to being depressed at all!"<p>

My mom was on the phone with Deborah in my dad's office when I came out of my room around ten at night. I was on my way to the kitchen for Advil for my migraine when I heard her talking on the phone. I simply seated myself at the bar counter and listened.

"How's Taylor doing?"

Pause.

"I'm glad he's doing well...but he doesn't ask about her at all?"

Pause.

"Wow." She seemed truly surprised at whatever Deb's answer was.

Pause.

"Well, no. She just acts almost as if they were never best friends. Like nothing ever happened between them. Oh God, Deb, I really don't know what to do. I'm almost afraid that she would try to..."

Pause.

"I guess that's the only thing I can do. Yeah...yeah, I understand. Thank you, Deb. Give Makena and Daniel my best. And Taylor when ever he calls. Okay, yeah, love you too, Deb. All right, bye."

I heard her end the call on the home phone and I quickly jumped up for my Advil.

"Hayley?" my mom asked, entering the kitchen, still in her clothes from work.

I got three white tablets from the bottle and downed them with a glass of water. "Taylor doesn't ask about me?" I asked, but it seemed more of a statement.

"No, sweetie, he doesn't," she admitted, concern plastered all over her expression.

I nodded and put my cup in the dishwasher. "Well, goodnight," I said normally, and hugged her before I disappeared back in my bedroom.

Tonight, I couldn't sleep at all. I was even afraid to. I was afraid that my subconscious mind would exaggerate the truth of the situation, or taunt me of what I desperately wanted back in my life.

* * *

><p>"Hayley, come on, let's go to your locker and get your coat," my dad said when he came over to my table at the library the next day.<p>

Once again, for lunch, I was sitting in the library reading comics.

I looked up from a _Captain America_ issue and frowned. "What? Why?"

He took the comic from my hands and took my hands in his when he sat down across from me. "I'm taking you to a psychiatrist. I scheduled you an appointment at the beginning of 1st lunch and during my planning period, so let's go." He let go of me and stood up with my comic still in his hands.

"Dad, I don't need to see anyone. You're being ridiculous."

"Hayley, _please._ Just go with me so that maybe you can prove to me and this psychiatrist that you are fine like you say you are." He was literally begging, which broke my heart.

I got up like he asked and after he signed me out in the main office, I followed him out to the parking lot.

* * *

><p>I got back to school at the end of fifth hour, and my dad had to apologize to teacher who had to step in and sub his fifth hour class.<p>

The session with my psychiatrist, Dr. Kinnear, was a blur. All I remember him diagnosing was that I was severely depressed and that I was just in denial about it.

He asked me questions like Melanie and my parents have asked me, but even more. He asked me if I was sexually active, which honestly made no sense to me, but he said something about severe depression possibly interfering with intercourse. I told him I wasn't, so he had nothing to worry about there.

That's about all that I can remember. That and the prescription he made that my dad was going to get me after school. It was some kind of anti-depressants for teens.

At first, I honestly didn't want to take the anti-depressants daily like I was supposed to, and I didn't, until one Tuesday in the middle of March.

I was walking down the hallway, carrying my Pre-Cal book and binder to second hour when someone stuck the newest issue of _Us Weekly_ into my arms. I looked up to see one of my fellow seniors, possibly the one girl that hated me the most in our whole class. We've known each other since kindergarten and she knew what my relationship was with Taylor. Her name was Kat and she was pretty much the princess of our class. Everyone [popular] adored her, she was a cheerleader, and had the football star boyfriend. The classic bitchy, popular girl who ruled the school you'll find in every teen movie.

She did anything she could to hurt me because she saw me as a threat.

"I think Taylor's moved on," she said in her caddy, bitchy voice.

I looked down at the magazine to find a picture of Taylor somewhere in L.A., walking hand in hand with Scarlet.

_Looks Like Lautner's Got A New GF! _The bold title read.

One she knew that I saw there was a whole article about him and Scarlet, she smiled. "Keep it. I don't need it anymore."

She slowly walked away and once she joined her friends, she laughed with them at me while they walked to class.

I waited until lunch to bury my face in the magazine and learn that Taylor admitted to dating Scarlet, and they met through 'an old friend', as he put it. The article then moved on to a bunch of stuff about Scar I already knew about and that their sighting in L.A. was a weekend getaway for both of them. Taylor was taking a break from filming _Breaking Dawn_ in Baton Rouge and Scarlet just 'needed a weekend getaway with her new boyfriend'.

It then occurred to me why she wasn't at school last Monday. She was coming home from said getaway.

The magazine article was all took for me to realize that I _was_ really depressed and that if I didn't do anything about it, this one little chapter in my life could make me do something, anything to get away from it.

Once I got home after school, I immediately took the daily dosage of meds and ordered a large cheese pizza, which I at all by myself that night.


	4. Chapter 4

I appreciate the feedback! Please review! I love to hear what you guys think.

* * *

><p>"Hey, do you want to go to a party tonight?" Morgan asked me as we folded boxes in the bakery.<p>

It was the Friday at the beginning of April, marking the first night of spring break. Nothing has changed since that Tuesday I began taking my medication, except that I began sleeping and eating a lot better now.

"It's the Spring break 2011 kick-off at Kat's house. Come on, it'll be fun," she smiled, nudging me slightly.

"That's sweet, Morgan, but...I don't know. I mean, Kat hates me..."

"Who cares? She knows you wouldn't try to crash it or anything, and there will be so many people there, I'm almost positive she won't even realize you're there."

"Well...I don't know. I don't really have any friends..."

"You have me. And once you get some alcohol in your system like everyone else, you'll have plenty of friends. Come on, we'll go to my house after work, I'll put you in something sexy, and we'll go over there."

I finally gave in at the end of our shift at seven, and we both met at her house.

Morgan lived in a larger condo near downtown with her mother. Her mom pretty much let her do anything, so she had no problem letting us go to a party.

The only thing I had to do was explain to my parents that I was sleeping over at Morgan's for the night. They said they didn't mind; they actually sounded happy for me.

"Okay, my parents think I'm sleeping over here for the night," I explained to Morgan after I hung up the phone.

"Don't feel bad. You're not lying. We're coming back here after the party," she smiled, handing me a little black strapless dress. "Here, go put this on."

I did what she said and changed into it in the bathroom in the hallway. My eyes popped when I looked at myself in the mirror. The dress hit at several inches above my knee, and the neckline was low. I came back into Morgan's room when she gasped excitedly.

"You look sexy!" she exclaimed, jumping off the bed to pull me over to the mirror.

I felt déjà vu coming on, thinking back to the night Scarlet dressed me for the dinner my family had for the Lautners.

"Thanks."

She took my hair, shook it loose, and adjusted my bangs. I fought her on the heels she wanted me to wear, sticking with my plain black chucks.

She dressed herself in a way short black mini and a detailed purple top. She put on her highest heals (she's even shorter than I) and we both piled in her car and were off to Kat's house, which was in the rich part of Grand Rapids, close to my street. Kat lived a few streets over in one of the biggest houses in our neighborhood. We could see several cars parked down the street and lights and music blearing from her house.

"Ready?"

"Yes," I smiled.

After parking the car and entering the house, Morgan left me to find the beer, and once she did, she shoved a cup in my hands and began chugging her own.

"Woooh!" she cheered. "I love Kat's parties. She always gets the best beer."

I laughed at her enthusiasm, taking a sip of my own beer.

This went on for several hours, Morgan and I partaking in beer games or dancing on the dance floor until about two in the morning when she left me with some guy. I began wandering around the top of the house, then leaned against the banister as I watched over the party.

I gazed over all my fellow seniors, laughing to myself at how drunk or buzzed they were, or the fact that their energy never seemed to end.

I continued to gaze around when my eyes locked on the dance floor, a curvy redhead dancing raunchy with some beefy, Native American looking guy.

It took me a few minutes to realize it was Taylor and Scarlet.

Taylor suddenly looked up and locked eyes with mine.

"Hey, sexy," a voice breathed behind me as a pair of strong arms slipped around my waist, and a body pressed itself against my own.

I turned to see Cody Strause, one of the guys in my sixth hour class, looking at me with hungry eyes. "Cody, what-"

He silenced me by smashing his lips against mine, turning me around so I was facing him fully. When he finally let go, I frowned.

"You're dating Hanna. She's a nice girl, I don't-" He silenced me again, his hands moving towards my ass.

"Don't worry about that. Now come on," he smiled, nodding towards a vacant bedroom.

Before I could say no, he grabbed my hand and began pulling me toward the bedroom. When I looked down at the dance floor for the last time, Taylor was still staring up at me, anger plastered all over his face.

* * *

><p>"Hayley," someone whispered into my ear softly, shaking me lightly.<p>

"Wha..." I mumbled.

"Hayley!" Morgan said loudly, pinching my cheek.

"What?" I hissed, sitting up from the bed while wrapping the sheets around me tightly. Cody had his arms locked tightly around my waist.

"Come on, time to go. Hanna is looking for Cody and I already saw Taylor and Scarlet pretty much humping each other on the dance floor," she explained, gathering my underwear and dress and handing them to me.

"I think everyone saw that," I mumbled, taking my underwear from her and slipping them on under the sheets. I started to slip out of bed when Cody tightened his grip.

"Don't leave," he whined, kissing my hair.

"Cody, I have to go, okay." I slipped out of bed and quickly slipped my dress back on.

"Okay, come on," Morgan sighed, pulling me away.

"I'll call you," Cody said before falling back onto the pillows.

I smiled and followed Morgan out of the house. We were just halfway across the lawn when a large hand grabbed me by the wrist.

"What the _hell _was that?" Taylor demanded once I faced him.

"What the hell was _what_?" I demanded.

"Did you sleep with that guy?" he demanded himself, Scarlet a few feet from us, watching.

I dropped my shoes from my hands and reached up to hold Taylor's face in my hands.

"Leave. Me. Alone," I sneered. I let go of his face, picked my shoes back up, and followed Morgan back to her car.

"Hayley!" he called out.

"Fuck you, Lautner. You too, Phillips!" I screamed from behind my shoulder.

"Come on, drama queen," Morgan laughed, pulling me the rest of the way to the car.

* * *

><p>It took Taylor until the end of the week to climb through my window during the afternoon while I was watching <em>Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince<em>, which was my favorite so far out of the six movies already released.

"We need to talk."

I looked at him from where I was sitting on the floor against my bed, eating a burrito. "Hey, best friend!" I exclaimed with a fake smile, pausing the movie.

His expression hardened. "I'm glad to see you're eating. My mom told me you haven't been doing much of that lately," he hissed.

"Oh, fuck you," I said with a mouth full of burrito.

He ignored my comment and grabbed me by the shoulders after sitting in front of me. "Why did you hit me when you realized Scarlet and I slept together?" he asked calmly. When I wouldn't look at him, he grabbed my face and made me. "Why did you hit me when you realized Scarlet and I slept together?" he asked me again. After several seconds of my not answering, he held my face tighter. "Hayley, tell me."

"Careful, and I might do it again," I threatened, lifting my foot and kicking him back away from me.

"Hayley!" He got up from where he lay on the floor on his back.

"Dad!" I called out into the hallway once I opened my door.

"What, Hayl?" he called back.

Before I could answer, Taylor put a hand over my mouth and pulled me into him. I began to squirm and scream, but he was too strong and his hand muffled my pleas. I would try to bite his hand, but I knew it was no good.

He waited a few minutes until I calmed down before he let me go. Once he did, I was about to smack him hard across the face, but he grabbed my arm. "Never _ever_ do that to me again."

He didn't say anything and instead, let go of my arm.

"Please, just leave."

"No."

"What do you want from me then, Taylor?" I asked desperately, throwing my arms in the air. "You've already taken my best friend, my happiness, my heart...what else is there?"

He reached out to take my hands, but I stepped away. "Just don't...touch me," I stammered.

"I don't understand why it upsets you so much-"

"Because!"

"Because what, Hayley? You won't tell me!"

"I just don't like it! I feel left out! I feel like all you want to do is be with her and you don't-"

"She's my _girlfriend. _I love-"

My eyes widened slightly as I heard him say it. I interrupted him before he could finish. "Tell me this then! Why is it that if a guy, bless his stupid little heart, ever showed interest in me, it's okay for you want or try to tear him limb from limb? But when I get mad at you for s_leeping and now dating my best friend, _I'm wrong? Do you know how unfair and ridiculous that is?"

"I'm your best friend, Hayley, I'm trying to protect you from those guys!" he barked.

"I'm a big girl! I can do it myself now! You've always been protecting me from everything and I'm sick of it! When you aren't around, Scarlet doesn't do any of that stuff for me and I turn out _fine_!"

He paused for a minute, his anger rising. "Fine. If you want me to stop protecting you, then as you wish. If you want me to leave, I'm gone. If you don't want me to talk to you, I'm speechless. But I will not stop loving you like I always have." Before disappearing back out my window, he kissed my cheek and gave me a small hug.

* * *

><p>Taylor stuck to everything he said last time we saw each other. He didn't say goodbye when he left to go back to L.A. with his family after spring break was over. He never called me. Never texted me. Never bothered me again like he promised.<p>

It killed me.

* * *

><p>I was at my locker getting ready for first hour in mid May, when I realized something was off. I stopped to think about what it could be, or what I was forgetting, when a girl near me stopped me in my tracks.<p>

"Oh my god, I got my period last night. Right while I was on a boat with Josh in the middle of Lake Michigan. I mean, I freaked out, but he was totally..."

Her voice faded from my ears, as did everything else from around me. I looked down to my stomach, realization hitting me like a semi-truck at full speed.

It had been about two months since my last period.

Once I could hear everyone and everything around me again, I hurried to the senior parking lot, where I knew Morgan would be with her car before school started.

When I couldn't find her and when the first bell rang, I panicked.

I couldn't be pregnant. There must have been a mistake. I must just be forgetting my last period, which should have been in early May. _Yep, that was definitely it,_ I convinced myself. I was just a little off.

* * *

><p>"So, Hayley, how was school today?" mom asked as we all sat down for dinner that evening.<p>

"Fine as usual."

"What did you have for lunch?" my dad asked.

My parents decided that they would continue to check on me every day about my eating and sleeping habits if I ever felt upset or lost about something. I think they just wanted to make sure my medication was still working.

"The food you packed me," I said, embarrassed that my dad packed me, a senior in high school, a lunch. But I knew he did it because he cared.

When they moved on to Melanie, an odd but familiar feeling caught me by surprise. I suddenly felt really nauseated and dizzy, when out of nowhere, something felt like it was trying to make its way back up my throat.

"Oh my God," I mumbled, covering my mouth. I quickly ran to the bathroom in the hall and emptied the contents of my stomach once I opened the toilet seat.

"Hayley, are you all right?" my mom called, her voice sounding as if it was coming closer.

"No, mom, I-" And once again, more red chunks of a Polar Pop slushie I had earlier after school spilled into the toilet.

"It's all right, it's okay," she soothed, pulling my hair out of my face once she sat down on the bathroom floor next to me.

It was about another five minutes before I knew I was done.

"Why don't you go ahead and shower and go to bed?" she asked, flushing the toilet for me and wiping my mouth with a wet rag.

I nodded and did exactly what she said.

I was hoping that a good nights rest was all that I needed, but when I woke up the next morning, the queasiness came back.

I let the constant throwing up go by without another thought until the end of the week when I swallowed my pride and called Taylor.

Half of me expected him to ignore my call, but the other half of me knew that he knew that if I really needed him, I would definitely be calling, and I knew he would definitely be answering.

"Hello?" he answered nonchalantly.

"Taylor, I need you," I whispered into the phone, tears spilling from my eyes.

I was sitting on the bathroom floor early Saturday morning, having just finished more of this constant morning sickness.

"What is it, Hayley Bear?" he asked calmly, his concern evident.

"Will you please come here? To Michigan? I _really _need my best friend right now," I cried, my sobs shaking my body.

"Yes, of course, sweetie. I'll get on my jet as soon as I can, okay?"

"Okay." My voice came out very shaky, but I didn't care. I needed him.

"I shouldn't be more than a few hours, okay? I'll be there before one, okay?"

"Mhmm."

"I love you, okay?"

"I love you too."

"Okay, I'll talk to you in a little while."

I hung up my phone and slipped it in my pocket. I grabbed my keys off my desk and hurried down the stairs. Melanie, my mom, and dad were all at her cheerleading competition somewhere in the city. They'd watch her and her squad perform and take her out to lunch, so I had a few hours of peace in the house.

I locked up the house and headed off towards the closest CVS. When I thought of my last year of high school before college, I never expected my extracurricular activities entailing me buying a pregnancy test on an early Saturday morning. I expected me rehearsing my lines for my lead role in the spring musical.

I didn't even audition for our spring musical this year because of the depression before the medication. The theatre department put on _Sense and Sensibility_. I would have been Elinor, but they cast another senior. As I look back, I regret not auditioning, but I was already lead in so many productions since middle school.

The CVS was open, but hardly anybody was there. I went to the Family Planning aisle and looked at all the different tests. _It's a yes or no answer, why do there have to be so many damn different kinds, _I though, eying First Response. After having a staring contest with the twenty boxes in front of me, I took a First Response test and trudged up to the counter.

I placed the box on the counter in front of me and turned to my bag.

"Hayley Powell," I heard Emory Dickerson say to me. I could just imagine the sly smile on his face.

I locked eyes with him. Emory was a kid in my senior class. He was a druggy and a complete hipster. He had a lip ring, wore knit hats at the crown of his head all the time, neutral colored v-necks, and boat shoes, but not Sperry's. They were too mainstream. He did pot and coke, but still managed a 3.8 GPA. He knew everything about everybody in our class, especially me. He creeped me out.

And I completely forgot he worked at CVS. You would think a guy like him would work in a vintage music store. But no. The god dammed CVS where I'm buying a pregnancy test.

"Hi, Emory," I said irritatedly.

He looked down at the box, then up at me, a smile on his face. "Who's the father?"

I stopped what I was doing to glare at him. "Don't forget I can kick your ass. And that I can go somewhere else."

His smile disappeared immediately when he recalled the time I beat him up for making fun of me and Taylor.

"Fine," he said, annoyed. He scanned the box and placed it back on the counter, knowing I wouldn't take a bag. "Seventeen-seventy-two."

I gave him a twenty and took the box. "Keep the change, asshole," I called as I walked out the door.

I went straight home and locked myself in my room. I was eager to take the test, to prove to myself that I wasn't pregnant, but I thought it would be best to wait for Taylor.

Taylor got to my house at about the time he said he would. Scarlet picked him up from the airport and dropped him off at my house, but she didn't stay with us. She wanted both of us to work it out and be friends again.

I threw my arms around Taylor's neck and hugged him hard, tears filling my eyes.

"I'm so sorry. I never meant anything. I'm sorry I hit you and told you to never talk to me again, I was just upset because-"

"Shh," he whispered, hugging me close. "It's okay. I forgive you. I'm sorry I didn't talk to you about me and Scarlet."

I shook my head and wiped at my eye. "I don't care anymore. I just need your help."

"Of course, anything."

I took his hand and took him upstairs to my room. He sat on my bed and I disappeared into the bathroom.

"Just give me a second," I called.

I came out of my bathroom, the test in my hand, while Taylor sat on my bed. He looked at the test in my hand and his eyes furrowed.

"That's not a..."

I placed the test on my desk and sat next to him, my head making it's way to his shoulder.

"Yes."

His jaw tightened, but he didn't say anything.

"Thank you...for coming all the way out here for me," I mumbled.

"Anything for you, Hayley," he answered quietly, remaining as still as he was before. "Do you really think you could be pregnant?" he asked after several seconds.

"It's definitely possible."

"Where are your parents...and Melanie?"

"Melanie has a cheer competition," I answered softly.

He didn't respond, but instead, rested his own head on mine.

When the three minutes were up for the test to determine if I was knocked up or not, I slowly sat up from the bed and took the white stick back into my hands.

_Pregnant,_ it read when I glanced at the screen.

"Shit," I cursed, my tears coming back immediately.

Taylor was suddenly at my side, glancing over my shoulder at the screen. He took the stick from my hands and threw it in my trash, then enveloped me in a tight hug.

"Taylor, I can't be a mom," I sobbed. "I can't have a baby. I'm only seventeen."

He pulled away from me and looked deep into my eyes. "Who's the father, Hayley?"

I froze, forgetting that part of pregnancy.

"Remember that guy at the party during spring break?" I whispered, hoping he would remember.

"The guy you hooked up with?"

"Yes. It's him. Cody is the father."


	5. Chapter 5

Thank you for the reviews and everything. I appreciate them x

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><p>Taylor couldn't stop staring at me that morning after the test read positive. No, scratch that. He couldn't stop staring at my stomach.<p>

"Taylor, please, stop staring at me," I finally said as we watched television in my living room, trying to figure out what to do with the situation.

"I'm sorry," he finally mumbled, his eyes averting back to the TV.

My own eyes were fixed on the TV, but my mind couldn't be further from what was on the flat screen. "What the hell am I going to do? I'm horrible with children. They don't like me. My life plan never said anything about babies, or even marriage for that matter."

"I can understand why you don't want to have a baby now...but you don't want children of your own when you're older? Or marry the man you love?"

"Taylor, you've known this about me for a long time," I frowned, a little annoyed.

"Right," he mumbled.

"I suppose I could just nip it in the bud before it gets too late..."

"Are you talking about an abortion?" Taylor asked, turning off the television.

"Well..."

"I don't believe _you_ would suggest something like that," he spat.

"You're right. I would never actually go through with that."

I let out a heavy sigh and got up to go to the kitchen. My sudden cravings for the weirdest foods finally made sense. "I just don't want to be pregnant, okay?"

He rolled his eyes and followed me into the kitchen. "There is a life growing inside of you. The least you can do for he or she is let it grow into a baby, then you won't have to worry about he or she anymore if you let someone adopt it."

"I know, I know," I agreed in a whisper. "I just find it amazing that my first time had to be ruined by the consequence of a baby..." I muttered, brushing past him back to the couch.

"That was your first time?" he asked angrily, following me to the living room.

"Why are you getting so angry about all of this? I'm the pregnant one here," I pointed out, turning the TV back on.

"I just don't want you to do anything stupid," he whispered, taking my hands in his.

"I'm just afraid," I admitted, tears burning my eyes.

"Of what?" he whispered, hugging me close in his arms.

"I'm afraid that if I do give this...baby to someone else, I'll regret the decision and want him or her back. But if I do keep the baby and raise him or her myself, then I won't be able to go to college or be able to perform on Broadway. That's been my dream ever since I was a little girl."

He squeezed me close. "I know it has. But this is something you're definitely going to have to think about...but after you tell your parents and...Cody...about the situation. I'm sure they can help you with your decision."

I nodded and buried my face in his chest. "You're right," I mumbled.

Suddenly, the front door opened, and in came my parents. Taylor and I quickly let go of each other, and sat at far ends on the couch.

"Well, Taylor, it's nice to see your handsome face around here again," my mom smiled, walking into the living room.

"Thank you, Jennifer. It's nice to see you guys too." He flashed his perfect smile and gave my mom a small hug.

"Mr. Powell," he nodded and shook my dad's hand once he came over to greet Taylor.

"Taylor," he said, giving Taylor's hand a firm shake.

"Is...everything okay?" my mom asked, looking between me and Taylor.

"Yeah, everything is great," Taylor smiled again, sitting next to me.

"Are your parents here?" my dad asked.

"Nope, they're in L.A. with Makena. I just wanted to visit Hayley."

"Well, that's great. Have you two worked everything out?"

Taylor looked at me, then back at my mom. "Everything is back to the way it should be."

* * *

><p>"So, are you and Scarlet still together?"<p>

I was sitting on the counter next to stove in Taylor's house, where he was making me mac and cheese.

We decided to stay the night at his house so I could calm down about the baby. I decided I would tell my parents after Taylor went home the next day. I didn't want to stress myself thinking about how I was going to tell them.

"Yes," he answered calmly, stirring the boiling noodles.

"And...how are things between you two?"

"They're fine," he smiled, eying me from the corner of his eyes. "She's very sweet. And she takes care of me. I fly her into California when ever she can and she absolutely loves it. We love to spend time together. She and Makena adore each other any my parents are fairly fond of her."

"That's good," I mumbled, looking down at my stomach. "Look, I'm really sorry for punching you back around Christmas time...and for slapping you the last time I saw you..."

"I'm sorry I held you against your will. And I understood why you punched me. I always did. I just wanted to hear you say it for yourself," he explained, taking the pot from the stove and pouring the macaroni into a strainer in the sink.

"You still want me to?"

After draining out the excess water, putting the macaroni back into the pot, and adding all the milk, butter, and cheese to the mac, he nodded. "Yes."

"I was...in a weird, way jealous. I felt like, since you slept with her, Scarlet was going to steal the spotlight from me. I was afraid that you'd stop spending time with me. And I was just plain pissed that you slept with my best friend."

"I'm sorry, Hayley," he said sincerely.

I nodded but didn't say anything.

"So, are we still best friends?" he asked, stopping to give me his full attention.

"Of course," I smiled, and took the pot away from him to pour some into a bowl.

After he grabbed a bowl we went to the wreck room to play Monopoly, as lame as that is.

"How are you going to tell your parents?"

I plopped on the couch and shrugged. "I don't know. I guess I'll just come out with it and explain how it happened."

He started to set up the board. "Don't stress yourself out about it. They love you and they'll be there for you."

"I hope you're right. I know my mom will be more likely to understand than my dad. He might just kill me."

"He just wants what is best for you, and that's not a baby, so he might not adjust as fast as your mom."

I nodded slightly, but didn't say anything else.

"I just want to forget about this, okay? And please, don't tell Scarlet about this. I want to tell her when I'm ready," I finally said after a minute.

He patted my knee and nodded. "I won't tell her."

* * *

><p>Taylor went back home Sunday afternoon since he had to start promoting <em>Eclipse <em>with the other _Twilight_ stars. I was happy that we said goodbye to each other as best friends, and he promised that if I ever needed him, he would hop on the nearest plane and be over here before I could say Platform Nine and Three Quarters.

That night, my parents took Melanie and I to a French restaurant, requested by my mother, no doubt.

I was quiet the entire meal, because I was waiting for the right moment to tell them, and I kept going over what I wanted to say in my head the entire time. By the time we had finished, and were waiting for our waiter to come back with dessert menus, my mother had spoken up.

"Hayley, you've barely said anything all night. Did you and Taylor get in another argument?"

I looked up at her and half smiled. "Oh, no." My smile disappeared when I thought about what I was going to say. "Look, I'm not sure how to say this, but I can't think of another way, and no matter what I say it's not going to make the situation any better so...I might as well say it."

They were all staring at me, eager to know what was going on.

I was silent for a moment, until mom spoke up again.

"Is this about Colombia? I saw that you got a letter, but you never said anything."

"No, it's not that."

"Then, what is it?" my dad asked.

I looked at them, my eyes already red with tears. "I'm pregnant."

They were all silent. Melanie's mouth was slightly ajar, the blood in my mom's face had drained, and my father squeezed the wineglass he was holding in his hand until it broke.

We all jumped and Melanie gasped. "I'll go get that waiter," she offered, and slipped away from the table.

Mom began to wipe the mess away and pick up the broken glass. Once she picked them all up, she met my eyes.

"Are you sure? You took a test and everything? Because sometimes they are a false positive."

"I've taken three." And I did. I took two more before we came to dinner to be positive.

"How did this happen?" she asked, and my father's anger had built up so much, he threw his napkin down and rushed away from the table.

"How did you let this happen?" she asked.

"When I went to Morgan's a couple months ago, we went to Kat's spring break kick off party and I got drunk and had sex with one of the guys in my class," I admitted in tears.

"You didn't even use protection?" she exclaimed in a whisper.

"We were drunk, we didn't think about it!"

"Oh god," she sighed, and sat back.

Melanie and our waiter came back to our table. Mom apologized in French to him (which was obviously his first language) and told him she could take care of the damages. He seemed understanding and polite because he cleaned it up and came back with a check with a smile. She didn't have to pay for anything extra but she gave him a tip that was almost as much as the check.

"Mom, I'm sorry," I pleaded while she paid the bill.

"We'll talk about it at home."

We left the restaurant to find dad already in the car, ready for the night to be over. We drove home in silence. When we got home, Melanie was told to go to bed, even though it was eight-thirty. They wanted to talk about the waited until they heard Melanie shut her door upstairs.

"Well, your daughter got drunk at Kat Varley's..." she looked at me.

"Spring break party," I answered.

"...Spring break party and slept with one of her classmates," she explained to my dad.

He took a deep breath and sat down on the couch. "Were you even smart enough to use protection?"

"No."

"God dammit, Hayley, you're smarter than that! You took a health class freshman year, and I've sure as hell made sure to teach you to _at __least_ use protection if you did decide you were going to have sex."

I didn't argue. He was right.

"There are consequences to these things, and in your case, it's going to be a baby. Have you thought about what you want to do?"

"I want to keep it."

"And you realize that that means another human life is your responsibility?"

"Yes, I've already thought about it."

He sighed again and rubbed his face with his hands. "Fine. That's all we'll talk about tonight. We'll talk about the rest later. Go finish your homework, or go to bed. I don't want to see you right now."

I did what he said and cried myself to sleep that night.

* * *

><p>It was the next day at school when I decided that I needed to tell Cody about the baby.<p>

It didn't take me a long time to find him. All I had to look for was a boy a few inches shorter than Taylor with golden blonde hair and ocean blue eyes. I found him amongst the people he hang out with around his locker in the morning. A few of his friends and Hanna and a few of her friends.

Since he was standing in the outer part of the group, I had no problem pulling him away from the rest of them.

Once he realized it was me, he smiled warmly and gave me a friendly hug. "Hey, Hayley, what's up?" he asked sweetly.

"We need to talk. But not here. At lunch. Meet me in the library at lunch?"

"Yeah, no problem," he frowned, already sensing that something was wrong.

"Okay." I turned away to head to class, but he pulled me back.

"Is everything okay, Hayley?" I looked over his shoulder and saw Hanna glaring in our direction.

"We'll talk at lunch."

He let go of me then and watched me head down English hall before he made his way back to his group.

"What was that?" Hanna snapped.

"Nothing."

Cody kept to his word and found me in the library, my nose buried in _Dracula_by Bram Stoker.

"Now how many times have I seen you read that since I first met you in kindergarten?" he asked nicely, sitting down across from me.

"Quite a few," I answered normally, placing a bookmark in the bind of the book before shutting it closed.

"So, what was it that you needed to tell me, or talk about?"

"Listen, Cody, as sad as it sounds, you were my first at the party..." I said softly, avoiding his eyes.

"You mean, I took your vir-"

"Yes. But there's a problem. I'm...I'm..." I met his calm, friendly blue eyes and felt the tears once again haunt me.

"Hayley...what's the matter? You can tell me," he explained soothingly, putting a hand over mine.

"Cody...I'm pregnant."

He froze for a moment. "Wha...are you sure?"

I nodded. "I haven't had my period since just before we had sex...and I've had morning sickness, and I took a test on Saturday. It was positive."

He took his hand away and stood up.

"I want to keep the baby and I understand completely if you don't want any part of this, but I just wanted you to know that you are the father," I explained in quieter tones.

He nodded and slowly sat back down.

"I thought about aborting it...but I know I would never actually go through with it. I thought about adoption...but nothing seemed right except my keeping the baby and taking care of him or her."

He didn't say anything, and instead looked down at the table.

_God, men are all the same._

"Listen, Cody, you're a nice guy. I know that you didn't intentionally mean to sleep with me...you are with Hanna and I know you love her...I just don't want...I don't want you to think that I expect anything from you, because I don't. I just wanted you to know what's going on."

He nodded again and met my eyes. "How far along are you?"

"I don't know, but I would that at most, maybe two months?" I guess, thinking how long it was since spring break.

He nodded and got up again. "I need to think about some things. I'll talk to you later," he explained, then hurried out of the library.

I sighed, then laid my head on my backpack. I only wanted to sleep.

"Hayley, wait up!" Cody called as I walked to my car in the senior parking lot.

* * *

><p>I stopped and turned, waiting for him to catch up. "Hey," I said shyly, tucking a piece of hair behind my ear.<p>

"Hey, I'm sorry I didn't say much in sixth hour," he apologized.

"It's fine."

"Look, I've been thinking and...if you're going to have this baby, then I want to be there for you and our daughter or son. I don't want you to have to take full responsibility because I took advantage of you when you were drunk."

"Cody, you don't have to..."

"But I want to. Look Hayley, I've always liked you...like a friend. I never thought you were weird like everyone else, I just knew how shy you were. I was mad that the only person you seemed interested in was Taylor...and look at him now..."

"Cody, where are you going with this?" I asked, suddenly feeling a little uncomfortable.

"I'm going to be the father of our baby like he or she deserves. My dad was never there for me...and I don't want to be like him. And I don't want you to give our baby up for adoption, and he or she, years from now, after being told about the adoption, wonder why we couldn't take care of him or her."

"That's really sweet," I smiled. "But what about Hanna?"

"I don't know. I haven't told her. I don't know how I'm going to tell her..."

"I'm sorry, Cody."

"Don't be. It's my fault," he explained, pulling me into another friendly hug. "I have to go, but I'll call you after I tell my mom."

I hugged him back gently and nodded. "Okay. I have to work till six, so if I don't pick up, its because I'm at the bakery."

He let go of me. "Okay. I'll see you tomorrow then."

I began walking back to my car when something hit me.

"Cody?"

He turned around from where he was walking. "Yeah?"

"You haven't told anyone...have you? I really don't want anyone to know."

"No, of course not. If I told anyone, it would go to Hanna first, and trust me, you would know if I told someone."

"Okay. Thanks, Cody."

"You're welcome."

About a week after I told my parents I was pregnant, my mom took me to a gynecologist and told me that I was about seven weeks along, which was right along two months like I told Cody.

But at the very end of the year, people started to notice at school.

I already began to show a little at twelve weeks, probably because of how skinny I was. I could have hidden my fast growing belly with a big sweatshirt, but it was getting fairly warm outside. It would draw more attention to myself.

Cody told Hanna about me and the baby after my first trip to the gynecologist. She was furious when she found out and even slapped Cody, then dumped him. She called me a bitch and my baby a bastard, but I didn't really care. I knew how upset she was and I understood.

Things with my dad were...well...bad. He stared down Cody during class, and was always staring at my belly at home. He never talked about or asked about the pregnancy; he left all of that up to my mom.

My parents and I told Melanie right about the time I told Cody. I knew she knew where babies came from and what sex was, but she clammed up when she found out. I felt almost like I was ruining her innocence.

She eventually got used to the idea, and always asks how I'm feeling, and is always grabbing my now protruding belly.

Mom told Deborah and Daniel, who told Makena. They didn't really know what to think at first, but from what I heard from Taylor, they were used to the idea and promised they'd be there for me if I needed them.

"You're pregnant, aren't you?" Scarlet asked after she came over to my locker at the end of the day. It was the last Friday of high school forever for her, but I still had another week to take my finals. We weren't required, but I wanted them to hopefully improve my grades as much as possible for college.

"It's getting pretty obvious, isn't it?" I smiled, slinging my messenger bag over my shoulder.

"I mean, people are talking. We all pretty much figured out that you're pregnant...what we don't know is who the father is..." she mused.

"He'll tell if he wants," was my simple answer.

"You know, Hayley, of all the people I thought that would end up pregnant in our class at the end of senior year, you honestly never crossed my mind," Kat harassed me after walking up to me and Scarlet, two of her friends behind her.

"I didn't think that anything crossed your mind, Kat," I snapped back calmly.

"Funny," she fake smiled, then walked away with her friends.

"Hayl...Are we ever going to be friends again? It's been a whole semester," Scar said after a few seconds.

"You know I miss you," I finally said, wrapping her in a hug.

"Good, because I miss you too."


	6. Chapter 6

"Hey, Cody, I'm going to my first ultrasound today since I'm past twelve weeks," I explained into the receiver of my iPhone after school that day. "I was wondering if you wanted to to come along?"

"Yeah, I'd love to," he said happily.

"Okay, well my mom and I are about to leave the house, so just text me your address?"

"Yeah, sure."

"I'll text you when I'm close."

"See you then."

"Bye, Cody."

"Bye."

"So is Cody coming along?" my mom asked, coming into the foyer.

"Yep," I smiled.

"You know, I'm really glad that he wants to be apart of this," she sighed with relief, grabbing her keys from the table by the door.

"I am too."

My mom and dad had Cody and his mom come to our house the next weekend after I found out I was pregnant, to discuss things. This gave my mom a chance to meet Cody, and both my parents to meet his mom. She turned out to be a very nice woman, just like Cody, and she didn't seem to be upset about the situation. She just accepted it and agreed to help out with expenses, which honestly wasn't a big issue.

She stayed for dinner and everything went fairly well. No one argued; Cody and I explained what happened and that we wanted to keep the baby. Both my parents and his mom agreed that we'd discuss arrangements and everything with the baby when the due date was closer. I'm due January 4th, 2012.

Cody didn't live too far away from us; his house was on the way to the hospital.

Once we got there, we didn't have to wait long and after my gynecologist, Dr. Phillips, checked me, took my blood and urine, she hooked me up to the ultrasound machine.

Cody was in almost awe when he saw the baby on the screen. He or she still looked like a sea monkey, it's head just as big as the rest of the body and with limp arms and legs.

"Well Hayley, your baby is coming along quite well and there's no sign of down syndrome. It doesn't look like there are any complications and the heartbeat sounds perfectly normal," my doctor explained, still moving the transceiver around on my stomach.

"When will you be able to tell the sex of the baby?" I asked as she took the transceiver off my belly.

"Well, your baby is beginning to develop its sexual organs from between twelve weeks to sixteen weeks, but I won't show you until about twenty weeks, just to be sure," she explained, wiping the goo off my stomach. "But you do need to come back next month, sweetie."

After mom paid and we left the hospital, we took Cody home.

"You're going to need maternity clothes soon," my mom explained, heading toward the direction of the mall.

She pulled into the parking lot of Motherhood Maternity and turned to me once she parked the car. "I know this place is a lot more for...well, women in their twenties and thirties, but the least I can do is find you jeans that will fit around the baby."

I reached over and hugged her. "I love you, mom."

"I love you too."

* * *

><p>Mom ended up buying me a few pairs of skinny jeans for me, a few pairs of Bermuda shorts, and a couple pairs of khaki Bermuda shorts for work. She also bought me several plain t-shirts in neutral colors that are made to fit around pregnant bellies, which I would need once around month five.<p>

"Thank you again, mom," I smiled as we walked in the door.

"You're very welcome, honey."

I took my clothes upstairs when I passed my dad in the hall.

Ever since I told him I was pregnant, he's always seemed disappointed with me every time I came near him.

"Hey, sweetie," he said cheerfully. "Everything okay with the baby?"

I stopped and looked at him. "Yep. No down syndrome, heart beat is fine...everything is good."

He smiled as best he could and kissed my head before disappearing into his office downstairs.

* * *

><p>The last week of school was a little uncomfortable. And instead of a week, it was just three days. I went to school like I normally would. The schedule for the day was two finals a day, two hours to take each, and an hour to study for each beforehand. There were also a few other seniors who took their finals.<p>

Cody decided he would take his finals too so I wouldn't have to be at school alone. He didn't need to because he was a really smart guy, but he insisted. We ate lunch together and studied together or took our finals together if it was in the schedule.

I did decide for the last three days I would wear one of my big hoodies so I didn't have to worry about my belly sticking out. It was getting to be sixties and seventies, but the last thing I needed was to stress over people staring at my stomach while taking finals.

Cody and I were becoming friends. He was always there if I needed him to do something for me, or even if I needed to talk. He was never mean and he rarely got angry. He was always sweet and caring.

Cody drove me home the last of school, on the 23rd of June, when I saw a rental car parked in the Lautner's driveway.

"I'll see you later, okay?" Cody interrupted my thoughts, placing a hand on my stomach.

"Yeah," I smiled, putting my hand over his. "Thanks again for going with me. You don't know how much I appreciate it."

He smiled and kissed my cheek. "No problem."

He let go of me and waited until I was inside the house to pull out of my driveway, and head back to his house.

I climbed up to my room and dropped my backpack on my desk.

"Hayley?"

"Yeah?" I turned around to find my mom standing in the doorway.

"Want to take an early vacation with Taylor and Scarlet?"

It turned out that Taylor wanted to take me and Scarlet back to L.A. with him for a while and my parents were fine with it. We would stay in his house with him and his family for a few weeks. He's supposedly moved into a bigger house after the whole _Twilight_break through happened, so I haven't seen it since the last time I went to L.A. with him.

"I want to talk to Taylor about it first," I finally said to my mom after I thought a few things through.

"Go ahead, but tell me when you have answer," she smiled, and left me to call Taylor.

I did exactly that and waited patiently as the phone rang a few times.

"Hey, Hayl," he said happily.

"Look, I want to talk about this whole L.A. thing," I said, sitting down on my bed.

He seemed to note my skeptics. "Yeah?"

"If I go down there with you and Scarlet, and we hang out...in public... then the only thing people will see me for is the knocked up, average looking best friend, compared to the beautiful, and less skanky looking girlfriend. Trust me, I know how that shit works. I had to deal with four years of it at Grand Rapids. My whole life was like that. Being compared to you or Scarlet, but mostly her," I explained, my free hand reaching down to my belly.

"Hayley...do you really care about what the world thinks about you?"

"Well, when you put it that way..."

"All that matters is what Scarlet and I think, two people who love and care about you, and we love you a lot, pregnant or not."

"Yes, but you haven't seen me pregnant yet. I'm only fourteen weeks and I'm already beginning to show. Must be because of how damn skinny I am..." I mumbled the last part.

"I'm sure you're glowing and beautiful and I could come over right now and see you."

"No. That's okay." Damn, forgot he was in town. "I just...I don't know if now is a good time for me. Plus, I was planning on taking Melanie to Harry Potter world with me soon..."

"You want to take Melanie...to your dream land?" He seemed surprised.

"She's my sister and as much as she can annoy me, I love her no matter what. Plus, she's the only one who likes Harry Potter as much as I do. She flipped when she found out what my Christmas present from you was," I explained.

"Awe. And speaking of Christmas presents, I never thanked you for mine. I loved it," he expressed genuinely.

"Oh shut up, it was lame."

"No, it wasn't. I look at that scrap book a lot, when I'm here missing you. And I wear my jersey all the time."

"I'm glad to hear it." I felt myself smiling. "You know how I've always kind of had a boyish body?"

"Yeah..."

"Well, I actually have boobs now, because of the baby."

"Umm, Hayley, why are you telling me this?"

"Cause, I have no else to tell it to. And you're my best friend, rememmmberrrr?"

"Oh yeah...Do I get to here all about your pregnancy until you have the baby?"

"Nope, because you'll be there to experience it," I laughed. "I'll go to L.A."

"You will?" he asked happily.

"Yes. But how long do you want me to stay?"

"The whole summer."

"Taylor, I can't do that. I have work and I have to go to my doctor every month until I'm about six or seven months, then I go about every two weeks, then the last few weeks, I go weekly..."

"Sounds like this baby is already taking up your time." He sounded hurt.

"I'm...sorry. How about I just stay a few weeks? Can that be enough for you?"

He paused for a moment, but finally said, "yes. It's great."

* * *

><p>"So, you're leaving for how many weeks?" Melanie asked me from where she was seated next to me, helping me pack.<p>

"We decided on four weeks," I answered, placing my already folded maternity clothes into my suitcase.

"That's a month!"

"Yes, and...?"

"I don't want you to be gone that long..." she admitted, looking down at my ultrasound picture I showed her before we started packing.

"What are you talking about? You love it when I'm gone," I frowned, going into my closet for my numerous pairs of sweats.

"Sweats? It's L.A. Hayley," she pointed out when I shoved them in the suitcase. "And I'll miss you. Ever since you told us you were pregnant...this family seems like it's..."

"Not exactly together?"

"Yeah. Dad's trying to be a good sport about everything, but he's drifting."

"I know, Melanie. Trust me, I know. But that's one of the reasons I'm leaving for a while. I need to get out of this house...this town...I need something new for a while. And I need to be with Taylor."

"Why? Cody is the father of the baby."

"My baby has nothing to do with that. This whole _Twilight_thing has really kept Taylor away and busy, which I'm sure you're well aware of, since you _are_ a die-hard fan," I teased.

"Like you aren't."

"I never said I wasn't before," I smiled.

"What about work though?"

"I called Elizabeth and she said she could find someone to cover for me."

"What, she's just going to let you go on such short notice?"

"Normally, no. But since she's known us for so long, she's letting it slide." I went into my bathroom and grabbed the stuff I could pack that I didn't need tomorrow morning.

"What if...people look at you?"

I frowned and took her hands in my own. "Why are you worrying about me?"

She looked up at me and shrugged. "You're my sister."

"Yeah, the sister you hate," I smiled again.

"No, Hayley, I don't hate you. I know I'm only twelve and..."

"Look, Mel, please, for me, just be a kid. Don't worry about me. Just watch _Hannah__ Montana_ until you know the dialogue by heart and hang out with you friends. I don't want you to miss out on being a kid." I let go of her hands, moved the suitcase, and sat down next to her. She immediately wrapped her arms around my waist; well, as best she could.

I hugged her back tightly, rocking her gently. "Tell you what. When I get back, we'll go to Harry Potter World. Just you and me. I'll fly us down to Florida and we can spend a week at Universal and Island of Adventure."

"You really want me to go with you? Wouldn't you want to go with Taylor?" she asked, looking up at me.

"No, I don't. I want you to come with me. It will be really fun."

She finally cracked a smile and hugged me harder. "I love you, Hayley. And you're going to be a great mom."

"I love you, too, Melanie, and thank you."

That night, as I was tossing and turning in bed, I couldn't help but think about what Melanie said when she was helping me pack. I couldn't get the scene out of my mind. Melanie never opened up like that or was that real with me unless she was really upset or worried, which scared me.

At age twelve now, my sister definitely looked like my dad, and a little bit like my mom, whereas, I look nothing like either of them. She had long, natural brunette hair that reached down to her waist that she refuses to touch unless for a trim. Before I colored my hair, it was a dirty blonde. Melanie inherited her big, brown eyes from my parents, hidden behind the longest lashes. I have blue eyes. Her face was sweet and kind and she needed glasses just like I. She was just as skinny as I, but she actually has a girly figure, which I honestly envy.

I was just the abnormal, ugly child with the weird hair and a baby under her shirt, that loves her best friend but it too much of a pussy to do anything about it. Yep. That was definitely it.

I finally decided that I couldn't sleep, and after putting on my Sperry's, I crept downstairs and left the house with my car keys in my hand. I climbed in my car and headed to Cody's and texted him to meet me outside.

When I pulled up on the street in front of his house, he was dressed in dark gray sweatpants and a plain white t-shirt, his hair in a blond mess.

He made his way down to the car and climbed inside.

"What's up?" he asked sleepily, putting his seatbelt on.

"Couldn't sleep. I have too much on my mind. Want to go to a diner?" I asked, turning to him.

"Yeah, sure. But what diner would be open at two AM?" he asked, not looking at me as I sped off toward down town.

"Oh, you'd be surprised."

We ended up going to Tin Lizzie Diner, which was right in East Grand Rapids, and that stayed open twenty-four hours a day. Cody and I were pretty much the only ones. We sat in a booth and both ordered pancakes and coffee.

"So, what's been on your mind?" Cody asked, in between mouth fulls of pancake.

I shrugged and glanced down at my stomach. I was wearing a brown Sea Wolf shirt, two howling wolves and the bands name outlined in a dark green, and light gray sweat shorts. _Hey__L.A.,__this__is__me__Hayley__Powell,__and__I__obviously__don't__give__a__shit__as__to__what__I__wear__because__I__honestly__don't__give__a__fuck__like__everyone__else.__Oh__and__please__ignore__my__growing__belly,_I thought to myself.

"Hayley?"

"Huh, what? Oh yeah," I looked back up at Cody, then down to my pancakes as I cut into them. "Well, Taylor invited Scarlet and me to go to L.A. with him," I explained, avoiding Cody's eyes.

"What, do you mean forever?" he asked, suddenly dropping his fork. "Hayley, if you don't want me to help you with this baby-"

"No, Cody, not forever. And I do want you to help. I'm just going for a month. I'll be back in time for my next ultrasound," I sighed, my hand making its way to my belly.

He sighed himself and picked his fork back up.

"Is that okay with you?" I asked.

"Yeah, I don't care. I mean, it's kind of weird...but it's whatever."

"What's weird about it?"

"Nothing, Hayley, forget it. I want you to go. I don't want you to be stressed out and I think a vacation with Taylor and Scar is a good thing. You need to get away from your family for a while," he explained, placing a hand over mine on the table.

"You're right. But my dad...he's drifting."

He tightened the grip on my hand. "It's just hard for him to adjust. Every father would have a hard time getting used to his teenage daughter getting knocked up before college. And with a month of you in L.A., he'll probably get a clearer head and be able to accept it."

"You're right," I repeated.

"Why are you putting so much stress on a vacation anyway? I know you've been beating yourself up about going. And I know why. You shouldn't care what people think about you, Hayley, because you're smart, talented as hell, beautiful, sweet, generous, and you have a big heart. Why should you be ashamed of those things?"

My cheeks burned from the blood rushing to my face. I looked up at him and he had a stern look on his face.

"Thank you."

"It's the truth," he added, taking my hand again so I would look at him.

I nodded and squeezed his hand.

"Have you thought about Colombia anymore?"

He let go of my hand and returned to his coffee. I told him several weeks ago I got into Colombia in New York, for the theatre department. He knew as well as Taylor my dream of becoming a Broadway star. We were trying to figure out how we were going to raise the baby with both of us in college.

"I really want to go, but with the baby and you going to Wayne State, I think it's best for me to take the year off."

"Are you sure? Because we could make it work."

"I know. But I'm still thinking about it. I was thinking we could get an apartment in Detroit close to the University."

"I'm required to live on campus freshman year before you have the baby...unless we were married..."

Blood rushed to my face again. "Oh."

He cleared his throat and took a sip of his coffee. "We can discuss all this later."

"Okay."

I dropped Cody off back at his house when we finished and arrived back at my own around three in the morning. I crept safely back inside and was about to climb up the stairs when someone stopped me.

"Where have you been?" my dad asked softly, walking toward me from the kitchen.

"Out."

"Well, I know that," he cracked a smile. "Want some cocoa?"

"In the summer?" I frowned, confused at his easiness.

"Why not?"

I shrugged and followed him in the kitchen. "So...how'd you know I left?" I asked, sitting at the counter.

"I was up anyway in my office when I heard you go outside and leave in your car," he explained, turning the stove on and adding milk to the pot.

"Why didn't you stop me, or call me?" I frowned.

"Because, I trust you."

"Dad, what's been going on?"

"Look, Hayley, sweetie, I'll be honest and say that this whole baby thing has really...I don't know...it was a lot for me to process. You were always my little princess, my little girl, and when I realized you were pregnant..." he explained honestly, adding real cocoa and a little bit of sugar to the pot, stirring it carefully. "And you've always dreamed of going to Colombia and going on to Broadway and I didn't want you to miss out on all of that, because, Hayley, I know you're going to be very successful."

"Dad, you drifted from me."

"I know, and I'm sorry. I just couldn't believe that you, you of all people, found yourself in this situation. You don't drink, do drugs, have sex, or party. I just...I don't know. It was unsettling when I realized that you did do that stuff."

"I only did it because I was sick of being a lonely little nobody who no one ever noticed. I just wanted to have fun...and now look where it got me," I explained.

Dad poured the hot chocolate from the pot into a mug and went to sit in the living room. I followed him and sat next to him, my hands finding their way to my belly once again.

"Are you sure you want to-"

"I'm positive. I can't think of giving him or her away," I said firmly, wishing people would stop questioning my decision.

He nodded and sipped at the mug.

"I think you should talk to Melanie in the morning. She was upset when she helped me pack for L.A."

"I will. And I'll talk to your mother. But, sweetheart, I want you to know that I am going to be here for you and Cody and the baby no matter what. I just don't want you to think that I've completely shut you out and don't love you anymore."

"I know," I smiled and reached over to hug him. "Love you, daddy."

"I love you too, Hayley, very much."

"I should go to bed. I'm really tired and graduation is in a few hours."

"Okay, honey." He kissed my head. "See you in the morning."

"Night," I smiled, and made my way upstairs. Once I got to my room and shut my door, I glanced at the window. I was actually thinking about sneaking over to Taylor's.

I looked down at my stomach and thought that the climb out of my window and into the tree, then down to the ground would be very dangerous for the baby, but I knew that I could be careful if I took my time.

I changed out of my Sperry's into my black Nikes then proceeded out of my window. I made my way into the tree okay, but took twice as long to climb down the two story high tree. I knew that if I fell and landed the wrong way, that I could really hurt the baby.

Once I got to the ground, I opened the gate that led to Taylor's backyard. Instead of walking through his backyard and up through another tree, I decided to just go in through the garage. I stopped when out of the corner of my eye, I saw a yellow bug parked in the driveway behind the rental car.

_How__did__I__not__see__that__when__I__came__home?_ I asked myself angrily.

I ignored the fact that Scarlet was here, and entered the pass code and the garage door opened. I closed it once I was inside and stepped into the kitchen.

The first thing I saw was a shirtless Taylor with a bat in his hand, ready to swing from across the kitchen.

"What, are you really going to take a swing at a pregnant woman?" I asked, shutting the door behind me.

"What the hell are you doing here?" he whispered angrily, his eyes falling to my stomach as he lowered the bat and placed it on the kitchen counter.

"I'm here for the party," I smiled, trying to hide the hurt I felt from the way he asked why I was here.

"Baby, what's going on?" Scarlet asked, only in one of Taylor's button downs and her underwear. "Oh, hey Hayley," she said awkwardly, slipping her hand in Taylor's.

"Hey, Scarlet. Well, I can see you two are busy, so I'll just Taylor, please stop staring at me," I sighed angrily, catching him eying my belly again.

He looked back up and met my eyes, his jaw tightening.

"This was a mistake," I mumbled, and began heading for his front door. "Like always. I mean, is there ever a time when you two aren't having sex?" I rambled on, entering the foyer. I opened the door slightly when Taylor slammed it shut. I turned to him, my anger radiating. "What, Taylor?"

"Don't go," he mumbled angrily, meeting my eyes.

I pushed him away from the door, then opened it. "I'll see you guys tomorrow," I said coldly, then disappeared out onto his porch.

"This is never going to stop with her," he mumbled, turning to Scarlet and opening his arms.

She wrapped her arms around his neck and kissed him gently. "Give her a break. She's pregnant. She's emotional."

"She wasn't pregnant when she punched me last Christmas."


	7. Chapter 7

"Hayley, wake up." Someone shook my shoulder, and not very gently I might add.

"Why..." I mumbled, trying to push the hand away as I rolled over onto my stomach, which wasn't a good idea. I immediately rolled back onto my back and opened my eyes to see Scarlet standing over me.

"Come on, it's time to wake up. We have to leave in a half an hour to get to graduation," she explained, sitting down next to me and brushing the hair from my face.

I slapped her hand away and sat up. "Why are you here?" I asked angrily.

"Why are you so angry?" she asked, tapping my nose.

"It's the morning and I'm p-"

"I know you're pregnant," she sighed.

I ignored her, and covered my mouth. "Oh god."

"What?" Her eyes widened.

"I..." I jumped out of bed and hurried into the bathroom. I opened the toilet seat and emptied this morning's pancakes into the toilet. After the second time I threw up, I felt someone gently grabbing my hair out of the way.

Scarlet sat down next to me on the floor and tied my hair back with a pony tail holder she found on the bathroom counter. After I threw up one more time, she handed me a wet washcloth.

"You still have morning sickness? Aren't you in your second trimester or something?" she asked.

I wiped my mouth and nodded, then flushed the toilet. "Doesn't mean it stops there."

Scarlet left me so I could shower and clean up for graduation. My hair was a light pink from all the faded red and orange. I was going to put more color on it, but my mom didn't want me to because of the baby. It had also grown out to my chest. I curled it at the ends and put on a simple black dress, then put on my gown. I paired that all with black chucks. I came downstairs to my parents in their own black cap and gowns, and Melanie in dress pants and a blouse and sweater. Scarlet and Taylor were standing next to them.

My grandparents Rosie and Patrick were waiting with smiles next to Melanie. They were coming to see Scarlet and I, even if for only a few hours before we went to L.A.

"Grandma, Grandpa!" I smiled, running down to them. They must have got home from the airport when I was getting ready. "I've missed you!"

"We've missed you too, baby doll," Rosie said, hugging me tight.

I smiled wider and Grandpa hugged me even tighter.

We all piled in the mini van and drove to Grand Rapids High, where our graduation was being held in the auditorium. Scarlet and I said goodbye to everyone at the door as we piled in with our classmates.

"And you rode with us, why?" I asked bitterly, following behind her.

"Your parents invited me to."

"Why?"

She stopped and turned around. "My mom's not coming. She went on a cruise with her new boyfriend. She's going to miss my graduation, Hayley. So stop being such a bitch to me. And I'd be shocked if my brother even showed up. And there's no fucking way my dad is."

I looked away for a moment, not knowing what to say.

"I'm sorry."

"Save it. You act like my best friend when Taylor's not around, but then when we're together, you treat both of us like shit."

I looked down when I realized a few of our classmates were staring.

"I'm tired of acting like I don't notice, and that I understand why."

"Do you?" I asked abruptly, looking up at her.

"Oh, Hayley Bear, I don't think even you know," she said softly, her face softening. "I know you love him," she whispered.

I shook my head, my eyes burning with tears. "No, I-"

"Hayley!"

I turned around and Cody was walking up to us with a smile on his face. He caught me in his arms and gave me a bear hug.

"Hey, Cody," I sighed, hugging him just as tightly.

He broke away and smiled at Scarlet. "Hi, Scarlet."

"Hey, Cody."

He looked down at me and realized my eyes were filled with tears. "What's wrong?"

"N-nothing."

"I'll see you guys later," Scarlet said, and left us.

I watched her leave, but Cody was looking at my eyes.

"Hayley, what is it?"

I met his eyes. "Really, it's nothing.

Cody stayed by my side until it was time to walk alphabetical order into the auditorium. The first three rows were reserved for us, while the most successful students whom were the most promising, or got the most scholarships, were on the stage. Because of all the scholarships Columbia threw at me, as well as other performing arts schools, I got to be on stage with Cody. And of course Scarlet was there too.

Cody held my hand the entire time, smoothing his thumb over the back of mine. I was in a daze the whole time, before my 'row' was called. All I could think about what the baby under my graduation gown, poking out. All I could feel was my childhood draining from me, and rushing to the baby in my belly. I knew that it wasn't graduation that was making me feel this way. It was my baby. In college, I could still be a kid, and as I looked all around me, I realized that most of my classmates had that. Even Cody. He still had Wayne State. And yes, we all have to grow up, some of us more than others, but I was going to be a mother by January. But that was my own fault.

"Hayley Ann Powell," my mother called into the microphone, and I walked across the stage, towards my principal. She smiled warmly and shook my hand, then handed me my diploma.

"Congratulations, sweetheart."

"Thank you," I said, and returned the smile.

I looked out into the crowd to catch Taylor standing up and taking my picture, a huge smile on his face. My grandparents are clapping and smiling beside him.

"That's my girl!" he shouted. "Wooooh!"

I broke into a laugh and took my place back with Cody on the stage. He took my hand and squeezed it, and even when we sat back down, his hand was glued to mine.

Our flight to L.A. was later that evening, so we all went out to lunch at the French restaurant where I told my parents I was pregnant. Cody tagged along, saying he'd have a special dinner with his mom later that night.

Lunch went well and when it was over, Taylor took Scarlet back to his house, and Cody took me to his house. Melanie and my parents took my grandparents back to our house.

Cody pulled up into his driveway, both of us finding it empty.

"Where's your mom?" I asked, frowning. She was at graduation with Katy, his little sister, and she should have been back by now.

"I don't know."

He turned off his car, and like the gentleman I realized him to be, he opened my car door before I could, and helped me out. We smiled at one another, and then he shut the door.

When we got inside his house (which was huge), he found a note on one of the marble top counters in the kitchen. His mother was a nurse practitioner, and was supposedly a stocks genius.

"She and Katy went out for a while," he explained, tossing the note back on the counter.

He crossed over to me and pulled me up the stairs into his bedroom.

I had been to Cody's house a couple times since he decided he wanted to be in my life, but never in his bedroom.

The first thing I noticed was that it was extremely neat. Everything had a place and every place was filled. The second thing I noticed was the huge king-sized bed and the two windows on each side. His bed was covered in white sheets and a navy blue comforter that had a white surfboard with a lighter blue and green stripes going down the center. His head board was three cut in half Rip Curl surfboards. He had posters of Mick Fanning and Alana Blanchard all around his room, and surfing and swimming trophies and medals covered several shelves. He had a contemporary glass desk on the opposite wall with a Mac Book Air resting on top. He also had a couple more surfboards hanging against his walls and the room smelled like SexWax and Old Spice. Just like he smelled.

"Something tells me you surf," I smiled, taking my graduation gown off. "You never told me."

He took it off my hands and placed it neatly on his desk.

"I do," he smiled, taking off his own gown and hanging it up in his walk in closet. "And it just never came up."

I walked over to his shelf of trophies and smiled as I read the name on all of them.

He sat down on his bed, and watched me. When our eyes met, he offered his hand and I took it. He pulled me onto his lap and held me close. Our hands covered my stomach.

"My mom's parents live in Malibu. My granddad is a surgeon and my grandma is a neonatal nurse. My mom packs us up every summer to see them, and we stay until school starts again. When I was about eight, she got me surfing lessons while I was there, and I've been surfing every since. And swimming."

I pictured Cody, tanner than he was now, snapping the lip off the wave in Malibu's blue waters. The thought made me smile.

"And what about you, Miss Broadway star? When did you realize you had such a beautiful voice?"

I blushed and giggled a little. "I don't know. I've been singing ever since I could remember. You think my voice is beautiful?"

He held me closer. "Of course I do."

We sat like this for a while, our fingers finally entwining after a while.

"Cody, what are we?" I asked finally, sliding off his lap and facing him.

"What do you mean?"

"I just mean...are we together, are we friends, are we just parents...I don't understand what our 'title' is."

He looked at me, looking for something in my eyes.

"Can I be honest with you?"

"Yes, of course."

"Hayley, I've always wanted to be your friend, ever since I saw you in kindergarten. You were different, and I liked it, because you didn't care. But I never said anything to you because of Taylor. He made sure none of us boys talked to you. And then when he left, Scarlet took you under her wing, and by then I just thought you wouldn't like a guy like me. I realized I liked you a lot at the beginning of high school, and I have ever since. That night we had sex...I knew what we were doing and...that's why I had no problem having sex with you, or letting go of Hanna. I have all these feelings for you, Hayley, they're there..."

I couldn't help but kiss him when I heard those words. I ran my hands through his hair and he was kissing me back forcefully. After a while, we were both lying flat on the bed, our hands everywhere, and our lips locked. I lost track of time after that, but when we heard his mom and Katy come in the front door, my lips were red and numb.

We both looked up at his door, and scrambled to get up. Before he got off the bed, I pulled him down and kissed him one last time. He smiled, and left the room, leaving the door open.

"Mom?" I heard him call as I let myself into his bathroom. I fixed my hair and makeup before picking up my gown and going downstairs.

"Hayley," Susan said with a smile. She wrapped me in a hug when I was close enough.

I hugged her back tightly, happy that she liked me.

"Congratulations, sweetheart," she smiled when we broke apart.

"Thank you."

"You're welcome, honey." She turned behind her and gave me a silver bag that read _Zales_across the front. "Just a little graduation gift from me."

"Susan," I moaned, already knowing it was too expensive.

"Now, hush," she smiled. "And don't open it till you get home."

"Speaking of which, I should take you back home so you can get ready for your flight," Cody said.

"Okay," I smiled, and hugged Susan again.

"Have fun, sweetie, but be careful."

"I will, I promise, and thank you for everything."

"It's nothing."

Katy gave me a hug before Cody took me out to his car. He opened my door for me and shut it behind me. I held his hand tight in mine all the way back home. He pulled into the driveway and put the car in park.

"Be careful. Keep our baby safe," he said sternly, placing a hand on my stomach.

"I will," I smiled, and kissed him softly. "I'll call you when I land."

"You better," he stated before kissing me again.

He opened my door again, then kissed me a third time.

"Have fun," he smiled before we parted.

"Okay, sweetie," I laughed, and disappeared inside.

When it was time to go to the airport, my dad drove us. Taylor and Scarlet came over with all their stuff and loaded it in the car and helped me with my stuff. In the meantime, I said my goodbyes to my mom and my grandparents, then to Melanie, who latched onto me tightly.

"I'm going to miss you," she whispered, tightening her grip.

I hugged her back. "I'm going to miss you too. Call and text me anytime, kiddo," I smiled and let go.

Scarlet was outside, dressed in a red sun dress and a cream colored sweater, with black flats.

We smiled at each other, but nothing more.

When it was time to go, I sat with dad in the front, while Scarlet and Taylor sat in the back. It didn't take long to get to the airport, but my thoughts were with Cody the whole time.

_I__miss__you__already,_I texted him.

_I__miss__you__too__sweetheart,_ he texted back immediately.

That made me smile like an idiot the whole time in the car. When we got to Gerald R. Ford Airport, my dad parked to help us with our stuff and to hug me as tight as he could. He insisted to go in with me, but I told him I'd be okay.

He didn't leave until he knew were we inside, and I waved at him to reassure him everything would be okay.

The flight from Grand Rapids to L.A. was about five and a half hours, and Taylor sat in the middle of us. He and Scarlet snuggled the whole time while I leaned against the window and listened to music.

The only hard part of the trip was walking through the LAX. Luckily, we met with Taylor's publicist, Evelyn, who I met last Christmas, and Taylor's bodyguard, Sean, but there were still paparazzi. It didn't get any better once we got outside, but Evelyn and Sean got us inside a black van quickly and loaded our luggage in the back.

We were headed for Valencia, which was were Taylor's new house was, only a forty five minute drive from Hollywood.

When Sean pulled up into Taylor's driveway, I was still asleep on Scar's shoulder.

"Hayl, wake up," she said softly, shaking me lightly. "We're here."

I sat up from her shoulder and looked outside. Taylor's house was very contemporary, a little different from the rest of the neighborhood. It was a little hard to explain, but it kind of reminded me out the house the Jonas Brothers live in on their TV show Jonas L.A.

Taylor got out of the car with Sean and helped him get our luggage out of the back. Evelyn, Scarlet, and I all got out and Evelyn showed us inside the house.

"Scarlet!" Makena exclaimed from the top of the stairs once she showed us to the foyer.

"Hey chicka," she smiled.

Makena raced down the stairs and tackled her with a hug. "I missed you."

"I missed you too," she explained, hugging her back.

When Makena let go of Scar, she turned to me, and studied me for a second. "You look...different Hayley," she explained, giving me a hug.

"I know."

She let go of me, then stared down at my stomach, then up at my glasses and hair. "I..."

I smiled and ruffled her hair. "I'm still Hayley even though I'm huge and look like a nerd," I joked.

She smiled, then hugged me again. And I mean really hugged me. "I missed you."

I hugged her back tightly. "I missed you too, silly girl. Where are your parents?"

"At work," she said, letting go.

"Ah."

"Oh, and hey Evelyn," she said politely.

"Hi, Makena," she smiled.

Once Sean and Taylor came in with our stuff, Sean and Evelyn left and Makena showed me and Scarlet to our rooms. Well, Scarlet's was Taylor's, but I had a room to myself. It was a simple guest room, with a huge window, a queen sized bed dressed in white sheets, white down comforter, and white pillows, and also with white walls, white carpet, and white curtains. There was a white dresser set with a white flat screen mounted on the wall above it, across from the bed. I felt kind of trapped in a lifeless, dull, white space, but it was beautifully furnished and I was lucky to have it.

"You okay?" Taylor asked, coming into the room with my stuff.

"Yeah," I answered, still staring out the window. "Just thinking," I added, turning around to face him.

"Come here," he mumbled, wrapping me into a tight hug once he was close enough.

"What's this for?" I asked, hugging him back.

"I haven't exactly been spending all that much time with you ever since we made up."

"I understand, Taylor. You have Scar. She's wonderful, and I wanted to spend all my time with her when you were gone."

He just squeezed me tighter, then let me go. "Everything okay with the baby?"

"The trip was a little more tiring than it should have been."

"So, I'm guessing that you don't want to hang around with Scarlet and me?" he asked, sitting down on the edge of my bed.

"Why? What are you guys up to?" I sat down next to him and rested my head on his shoulder.

"I was going to show her around downtown Valencia. It's not a bad walk from here, but since you're tired..."

"I'd love to go...but...I don't know. I don't want to be the third wheel, and don't say I wouldn't be because I know I would. I should probably rest anyway."

He nodded and rested his head on mine, then patted my knee. "I'm glad you're here."

"I'm glad I am too. Thank you for inviting me."

He smiled. "You're welcome."

Taylor and Scarlet left shortly after that, leaving Makena and I alone at the house.

She and I started to watch a movie in the living room, but soon after, she left to hang out with her neighborhood friends. So then it was just me. I picked up my phone and remembered that I needed to call Cody to tell him I landed safely.

"Hello?" he asked sweetly once he answered.

"Hey, it's me."

"Hey. Did you land okay?"

"Yeah, it was fine."

"What are you doing now?"

"Nothing," I laughed, curling up in the corner of the couch. "I'm alone at his house now."

"Why?" He sounded kind of worried.

"Everyone has something to do, and his parents are out working."

"Is he out with Scarlet?"

"Yep."

He was silent, not knowing what to say.

"I wish I was with you," I said after a few moments.

"I wish you were too."

"Are you mad?" I asked after he was silent for another couple minutes.

"A little, but it's your vacation, not mine."

"Why are you mad, honey?"

"Taylor's leaving you behind, I've wanted you to myself ever since you kissed me today, and I won't see you for another month."

I blushed. "He's not leaving me behind. He invited me to hang out with them, but-"

"But he knew you wouldn't go because of Scarlet."

"She's his girlfriend. They love each other. I can understand why they want to spend time together."

"But he's your best friend and he invited you to go out there to spend time with him."

"I know, but this is only the first day. And I'll be fine."

"Okay," he sighed simply.

"I should go rest, but I'll text you when I wake up."

"Okay, Hayl. I'll talk to you later."

"Okay, bye."

"Bye."

I did go up to my room and bury myself under the warm covers, and fell asleep immediately. When I did wake up, everyone was back home. Taylor came in my room a couple minutes after I woke up.

"Hey," he smiled, closing the door behind him.

"Hey," I replied sleepily, rubbing my eye.

He climbed into bed next to me and pulled me close. "I missed you today."

I hugged him back, inhaling his musky scent. "Missed you too."

He let me go and took my hands. "Want to go to the beach with me?"

I looked out the window and realized the sun was setting. "Just you and me?"

"Just you and me," he smiled.

"Sure."

He smiled wider and climbed off my bed. "I'll be downstairs."

When he left, I changed into a some of my American Eagle shorts and one of their cream colored tops. I slipped on my Keds and met Taylor in the foyer.

He drove us to the beach in his Audi where we walked in the sand barefoot, watching the sunset.

We walked for a while without talking. I looked at him several times, and gazed at his sunglasses and backwards baseball cap, the sun glistening on his beautiful red skin.

When he started to look at me, I would avert my eyes to my feet. I realized when I did look down that my stomach covered any part of my stomach that was poking out. I felt somewhat secure by that.

"Have you and Cody talked anymore about what you're going to do?"

"About what?"

"About raising the baby?"

"Oh. Um, we talked about me taking a year off of school, which is definite, and him still going to Wayne State. We talked about us living in an apartment near the campus so he could help me with the baby, but still go to school. And he wouldn't be able to do that until we did have the baby, or we were married, which is the school's rules for freshman."

"Marriage? Would you marry him?"

"I mean, we're already having a baby, why not get married to at least have some normality in this whole situation?"

We were silent for a while, continuing to walk in the warm sand, the sun kissing the gorgeous ocean water.

"Do you love him?" he asked finally, looking at my face.

_No, _I thought. _I love you._

"I like him a lot, and I could see myself falling for him."

And that was the truth.


End file.
